Bluff Creek Residence One
The Monroe Residence is built on a wooded promontory overlooking a permanently protected natural gorge. The clients wanted to take advantage of the views but were very concerned that the house might feel “too high up” on the gorge side.
We responded by dividing the house into separate, smaller components that could be arranged along the natural contour, thus keeping the depth of the house small across the direction of the changing grade. The dogtrot entrance followed from the decision to break the house into smaller components. It serves, first of all, as a connection between the living wing and the bedroom wing, but also connects the front and back of the house. Distributing the house along the natural grade meant creating a natural motor court in the front and separating the visitor from the view. By providing a narrow entrance and glazing it on both sides we reconnected the front and back of the house. The patios and decks on the gorge side of the house are depressed downward and connected to the house by short runs of steps. This helped keep the house connected to the natural contour as the clients had requested but it also made it possible for views from the house to open downward into the gorge.
