Volcanic house. Lookout House by Faulkner Architects
10/03/2021.
[Truckee - California] USA
metalocus, CRISTINA FERNÁNDEZ
metalocus, CRISTINA FERNÁNDEZ
The Faulkner Architects studio has designed the Lookout house, in the small town of Truckee, located in Nevada county, a few kilometers from Donner Lake and near the Tahoe National Forest, surrounded by nature, covered by a blanket of snow during the seasons. cold, and with a design very inspired by its location and origin.
The project highlights the open spaces, in a strong relationship with the outside. Located on the slope of an ancient volcano from millions of years ago, surrounded by trees and volcanic remains, visually playing with light, materials, and the great horizon that opens at its feet. The house makes a simile of a stone of igneous origin that was formed thousands of years ago.
The project highlights the open spaces, in a strong relationship with the outside. Located on the slope of an ancient volcano from millions of years ago, surrounded by trees and volcanic remains, visually playing with light, materials, and the great horizon that opens at its feet. The house makes a simile of a stone of igneous origin that was formed thousands of years ago.
Lookout House by Faulkner Architects. Photograph by Joe Fletcher
Lookout House by Faulkner Architects. Photograph by Joe Fletcher
Lookout House by Faulkner Architects. Photograph by Joe Fletcher
Lookout House by Faulkner Architects. Photograph by Joe Fletcher
Lookout House by Faulkner Architects. Photograph by Joe Fletcher
Lookout House by Faulkner Architects. Photograph by Joe Fletcher
Lookout House by Faulkner Architects. Photograph by Joe Fletcher
Lookout House by Faulkner Architects. Photograph by Joe Fletcher
Lookout House by Faulkner Architects. Photograph by Joe Fletcher
Lookout House by Faulkner Architects. Photograph by Joe Fletcher
Lookout House by Faulkner Architects. Photograph by Joe Fletcher
Lookout House by Faulkner Architects. Photograph by Joe Fletcher
Lookout House by Faulkner Architects. Photograph by Joe Fletcher
Lookout House by Faulkner Architects. Photograph by Joe Fletcher
Lookout House by Faulkner Architects. Photograph by Joe Fletcher
Lookout House by Faulkner Architects. Photograph by Joe Fletcher
Lookout House by Faulkner Architects. Photograph by Joe Fletcher
Lookout House by Faulkner Architects. Photograph by Joe Fletcher
Lookout House by Faulkner Architects. Photograph by Joe Fletcher
Lookout House by Faulkner Architects. Photograph by Joe Fletcher
Lookout House by Faulkner Architects. Photograph by Joe Fletcher
Lookout House by Faulkner Architects. Photograph by Joe Fletcher
Lookout House by Faulkner Architects. Photograph by Joe Fletcher
Lookout House by Faulkner Architects. Photograph by Joe Fletcher
Lookout House by Faulkner Architects. Photograph by Joe Fletcher
Lookout House by Faulkner Architects. Photograph by Joe Fletcher
Lookout House by Faulkner Architects. Photograph by Joe Fletcher
Lookout House by Faulkner Architects. Photograph by Joe Fletcher
Lookout House by Faulkner Architects. Photograph by Joe Fletcher
Lookout House by Faulkner Architects. Photograph by Joe Fletcher
Lookout House by Faulkner Architects. Photograph by Joe Fletcher
Lookout House by Faulkner Architects. Photograph by Joe Fletcher
Lookout House by Faulkner Architects. Photograph by Joe Fletcher
Lookout House by Faulkner Architects. Photograph by Joe Fletcher
Lookout House by Faulkner Architects. Photograph by Joe Fletcher
Lookout House by Faulkner Architects. Photograph by Joe Fletcher
Lookout House by Faulkner Architects. Photograph by Joe Fletcher
Lookout House by Faulkner Architects. Photograph by Joe Fletcher
Lookout House by Faulkner Architects. Photograph by Joe Fletcher
Lookout House by Faulkner Architects. Photograph by Joe Fletcher
Lookout House by Faulkner Architects. Photograph by Joe Fletcher
Lookout House by Faulkner Architects. Photograph by Joe Fletcher
Lookout House by Faulkner Architects. Photograph by Joe Fletcher
Lookout House by Faulkner Architects. Photograph by Joe Fletcher
Lookout House by Faulkner Architects. Photograph by Joe Fletcher
Lookout House by Faulkner Architects. Photograph by Joe Fletcher
Lookout House by Faulkner Architects. Photograph by Joe Fletcher
Site plan. Lookout House by Faulkner Architects
Lower floor plan. Lookout House by Faulkner Architects
Main floor plan. Lookout House by Faulkner Architects
Upper floor plan. Lookout House by Faulkner Architects
Building section 1. Lookout House by Faulkner Architects
Building section 2. Lookout House by Faulkner Architects
Building section 3. Lookout House by Faulkner Architects
The Lookout House, in Truckee, designed by Faulkner Architects, consists of two floors that open to nature through large openings that give the project a permeable character, giving rise to different experiences through materials of different colours, which counteract each other.
The house is covered to a large extent in concrete, with many wood finishes, custom furniture, and making great use of black contrasted with the light from the outside, which invades the interior naturally or through games of colors red in the glass referring to that magma that ran along those slopes.
The house is covered to a large extent in concrete, with many wood finishes, custom furniture, and making great use of black contrasted with the light from the outside, which invades the interior naturally or through games of colors red in the glass referring to that magma that ran along those slopes.
Description of project by Faulkner Architects
The building site had a significant influence on the design for this house. Layered with intense geologic history at the base of a three-million-year-old volcano, the site is a north-facing 20-degree slope with equal parts refuge and prospect at 6,300 feet above mean sea level. Consisting of volcanic sediment from ancient flows and strewn with boulders up to 15 feet in diameter, the site is in an open stand of second-growth Jeffrey pine and white fir trees. The vertical, plumb lines of the tree trunks, stripped bare from years of deep snow fall, reach for the light. Standing upright at an angle to the slope, they provide a constant reference to the perpendicular horizon in the distance. The harsh winters leave the ground sparse yet partially covered with a mat of pine needles and cones. Large waist-high clusters of manzanita group together and climb the slope in an organic, opportunistic pattern.
The singular form of the main space recalls the feeling of a smaller ski cabin with a single space for living and cooking. Bedrooms are concealed behind an acoustically detailed California walnut screen. The earth covered entry level houses the garage, playroom, craft room, and ski locker. A vertical access cuts up through the plan and arrives at grade to the south. Concrete walls extend into the slope and provide skier access.
Insulated 20-inch-thick concrete walls made from local sand and aggregate build a ground form that extends to roofs to enclose space. Full-height openings with structurally glazed sliding doors open the space to the prevailing southwesterly breezes. The concrete walls extend beyond the warm interior environment to create exterior territories at each end. Angled to conform to the building envelope, the extended walls continue into the slope, nearly closing and connecting, but stopping short to leave a gap. The ten-foot-wide opening allows the sloped grade to pour into the building form.
Red-orange glass suggests the color of cooling magma, referencing the site's geology and offering a warm approach. The glow extends to the interior, bathing the entry and central stair in light. To the east, a cleared ski access adjoining the site informed the way the plan is built into the slope: a narrow slot within the house's massing mirrors the continuous space of the ski run. This slot connects independently zoned territories with various levels of privacy within the house as a whole.
The material palette is minimal, including concrete, glass, and walnut. Basalt, used for floors throughout, helps to tie the house to the volcanic basalt boulders strewn throughout the surrounding landscape. Enhanced insulation levels (R80 roof) coupled with radiantly heated floors and high efficiency mechanical equipment mitigate energy usage. In response to recent California wildfires danger, the concrete and steel exterior of the built form is resistant to fire and low maintenance. Sustainability design integration here is focused on retention of energy.
More information
Architects
Design team
Design Team.- Gregory Faulkner, Christian Carpenter, Jenna Shropshire, Gordon Magnin, Darrell Linscott, Breanne Penrod.
Collaborators
Interior and Lighting Design.- CLL . Concept Lighting Lab, LLC. Civil Engineering.- Shaw Engineering. Structural Engineering.- CFBR Structural Group. Mechanical, Plumbing and Electrical Engineering.- MSA Engineering Consultants. Energy Modeling.- MSA Engineering Consultants. 3D Modeling.- Garrett Faulkner.
Builder
Rickenbach Development and Construction, Inc.
Area
Conditioned space.- 727.70 sqm. Unconditioned space.- 133.22 sqm. Total space.- 860.93 sqm.
Manufacturers
Windows.- Reynaers & Albertini Windows. Doors.- Valli & Valli. Interior Finishes.- HenryBuilt. Furnishings.- Cassina, Christian Liaigre, Christian Woo Furniture, Cierre, COR, Flex Form, GT Design Coconut Rugs, HAY, Karpeta, Kettal, Larson Kofod, Living Divani, Manifesto, MDF Italia, Minotti, Paola Lenti, Porro, RODA, Royal Botania, Swiss De Sede, Tribu, Zeitraum. Lighting.- B. Lux, Bega, BK Lighting, Brendan Raven Hill, Catellani & Smith, Flos, Hevi Lite, HK Lighting, Kreon, LED Linear, Luceplan, Lucifer, Lumenpulse, Marset, MP Lighting, Nir Meiri, No. 8 Lighting, Occhio, Viabizzuno, VodeBega. Plumbing Fixtures.- ADM Bathroom, Blanco, Boffi, The Galley Sink, Thermasol, Toto. Appliances.- Gaggenau, Inclinator, LG, Lynx, Subzero, Zephyr. Electrical.- Lutron, Savant.
Location
Truckee, Nevada County, California, USA.
Photography
Greg Faulkner. Faulkner Architects
Faulkner Architects was formed by Greg Faulkner in 1998 to pursue the development of highly crafted, site-sensitive spaces. Emphasis is placed on an interactive process between architect, client and builder through the duration of the project, that allows the inhabitants to be intimately involved with design. A strong commitment to the quality of every project is evident in the structures and professional relationships. Repeat projects for clients that become friends make up a third of the work at Faulkner Architects.
Evolution of the design into and through construction is an integral part of the process. Work begins with listening to the client and understanding their ultimate goals for the project. A measured response emerges after careful consideration and observation. The designs are affected by vernacular traditions drawn from the culture of the place in which the project is to be built. These traditions impart wisdom to materiality, formal massing and most importantly, provide an overriding common sense view of building in an appropriate way.
The firm has earned recognition worldwide. AIA California Council Residential Honor awards were received in 2016 and 2017 for Creek House and Miner Road. Creek House also claimed a 2016 Residential Building–Single Occupancy House of the Year award from LEAF in London the same year. The firm's work has been published inDwell, Wallpaper*, Sunset, Luxe, Arquitectura y Diseno, and Enki.It has been featured online at, Architectural Digest, Elle Décor Italy, Dezeen, Architect, The Cool Hunter, Curbed, Opumo, Corriere Della Sera, Uncrate, Stupid Dope and Architectural Record.
Evolution of the design into and through construction is an integral part of the process. Work begins with listening to the client and understanding their ultimate goals for the project. A measured response emerges after careful consideration and observation. The designs are affected by vernacular traditions drawn from the culture of the place in which the project is to be built. These traditions impart wisdom to materiality, formal massing and most importantly, provide an overriding common sense view of building in an appropriate way.
The firm has earned recognition worldwide. AIA California Council Residential Honor awards were received in 2016 and 2017 for Creek House and Miner Road. Creek House also claimed a 2016 Residential Building–Single Occupancy House of the Year award from LEAF in London the same year. The firm's work has been published inDwell, Wallpaper*, Sunset, Luxe, Arquitectura y Diseno, and Enki.It has been featured online at, Architectural Digest, Elle Décor Italy, Dezeen, Architect, The Cool Hunter, Curbed, Opumo, Corriere Della Sera, Uncrate, Stupid Dope and Architectural Record.
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