Between the Stones and the Water | Peak House

Artistic Character The biggest challenge of the project Bunkherr came up at the outset of the collaboration between the client and the architects. The attractive hillside property was located in a former holiday home neighborhood set amidst a picturesque landscape in Hesse, Germany. Due to great dedication, perseverance and a tenacious struggle for the client’s strong desire to build their home in this very attractive place, a construction permit could finally be successfully acquired. The design is based on the idea of a human back, which divides the property into two areas: a public hillside area, which contains the entrance to the house, the garage and a spacious, plaza-like courtyard – an inviting place to share time with friends and neighbors. Even the client’s horse finds room here. And it also has a private valley facing area, which offers a magnificent view of nature. The structure of the building is defined by two building blocks, which are arranged at right angles to one another, the upper floor is cantilevered towards the valley. The private rooms of the parents are accommodated there. Below on the ground floor there is an open kitchen, dining and living area, which is characterized by the room-high glazing. A central design concept was to create spaces for the works of the artistically influenced client. For example, the interior of the house, has sculptures and paintings that add a special personal touch to the timeless, modern style of the house. Only a few materials, such as the white screed, which is not only used on the floor but also on the furniture, and the specially designed wooden boards provide a stylish setting for this.

A self-initiated, architect-led design-develop-build project, Tesseract house was not designed with a specific client in mind. Rather, it was conceived as a business case to prove that one can create great contemporary architecture that fulfills a demand in the marketplace, while demonstrating that unbridled creativity generates innovative and artful spaces, using conventional and readily available construction methods. All of this was accomplished without breaking the bank and with a typical budget for a house of this kind Located in Toronto’s western lakeside streetcar suburb, this single-family residence proves contextual while owing little to convention and serving as the antithesis to recent vernaculars. By simply and unconventionally engaging the immediate context this contemporary alternative has an impactful, yet unimposing outward presence. This geometry and the depth of experience from which the house derives its name is not provocatively innovative but nuanced, both simple and complex, revealing itself over time. All of this within the constraints of conventional local residential construction, the Tesseract House unapologetically desires to be more than just a place to live.

Homeowners Sunil and Shalizeh “Shelly” Patel weren’t totally sure how to select shades and draperies for their Houston remodel, completed by StudioMET Architects. A visit to The Shade Store eventually helped the couple identify unexpected options in a mix of modern styles.