Moose and Coyotes Cross Under this Cliffside House | Rimrock

ByMyProperty Life

The particular form of Rimrock – a T-shaped structure – responds to the unique topography of the bluff upon which it is situated. At the edge of a cliff, the house straddles two sides of wash atop a stable outcropping of tough, slow-cooled volcanic basalt. The name “rimrock” refers to this type of geological occurrence with a sheer rock wall at the upper edge of a plateau or canyon.

Read another article:Design Trends for Creating a Vacation Vibe at Home

The seam below the house serves as a natural and preexisting route for animals, including moose and coyotes, crucially integrated into the design. Even with the house now in place, they can move freely. The living area is constructed over the wash, ensuring that forest animals – making their way from the high forest plateau to the Spokane River 300 feet below – are not in any way impeded while the occupants of the house are given a one-of-a-kind view of this ancient, animal-kingdom rite.

Aware that changing wind patterns in winter can lead to substantial snow drifts, elevating the house above ground level allows for full-height windows to maximize 180-degree views without snow accumulation. The interior remains open yet protected.

The distinctive shape of the house responds to the cliff’s topography and reflects the owners’ passion for art, making the building itself a sculptural masterpiece.

Read another article:Hot Trends: 20 Best Farmhouse Style Kitchens in White and Wood

The sensitive nature of the landscape, along with its unique climatic, solar, and seasonal conditions, demanded careful positioning and material consideration. Sturdy and durable building materials, primarily lightweight steel and glass, were chosen to withstand harsh environmental conditions and age naturally. Private areas on the first floor, including guest rooms and offices, feature untreated steel and are arranged to accommodate the owners’ movement throughout the day. This steel-clad portion ascends to the north, leading to additional private spaces on the second floor. The remaining space between ground level and the steel-clad portion is encased in glass, where the living room, dining area, and kitchen float above the ravine.

The steel paneling and structure is 90-95% reclaimed material locally sourced by the owner. There are automatic, seasonally adjusted exterior shades on all windows, which significantly decrease the energy used for cooling. Erosion on the site is prevented by collecting all rain water runoff from the roof into one dry well that percolates the water slowly back into the ground water system.

Credits:

Read another article:Revamped Small Barcelona Apartment Combines Multiple Styles and Finishes

Project name: Rimrock Residence
Location: Spokane, United States
Architecture: Olson Kundig
Area: 480 m²
Year: 2014
Photography: Benjamin Benschneider

0:00 – The Rimrock House
6:04 – Site Plan

Similar Posts

  • Best DIY Projects Using Contact Paper

    Finding yourself with more time on your hands for crafting?! Over the coming weeks, we’ll be featuring a bit more in the DIY department here at Decoist, as many of us are now working from home and spending our down time there as well. Today’s featured craft item of choice is contact paper. There are […]

    You’re reading Best DIY Projects Using Contact Paper, originally posted on Decoist. If you enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Decoist on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.

  • Right First Impressions: 30 Trendy Front Doors to Enliven the Entry

    They say that first impressions last forever. That might not always be true and our perceptions do change with time. But making a good initial impression always helps and in case of your home it is the entryway and the door that do this job. Subtle details in the design of the entryway and the […]

    You’re reading Right First Impressions: 30 Trendy Front Doors to Enliven the Entry, originally posted on Decoist. If you enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Decoist on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.

  • L7 Home

    Architects: Augusto Fernández Mas (K+A Diseño),
    Mauricio Miranda (MM Desarrollos),
    Mariel Esquivel and Cesar Cardoso. Construction: K+A Diseño Main Purveyors: MicMac, Solesdi y Venster. Interior decoration: TAI Arquitectura de Interiores Photography: Onnis Luque The linear black cabin was designed by the collaboration between Augusto Fernández Mas and Mauricio Miranda as a country house for a client with three specific demands: simple layout, low maintenance, and living quarters and public areas in one floor. RA.L7 is located within Rancho Avandaro Country Club in the outskirts of Valle de Bravo, an hour and a halve drive from Mexico City. It is a project that portrays a strong character form the outside but at the same time invites passersby to enter. In the inside, it offers a warm cabin like feeling that through its simplicity and windows facing the golf course, guides the view to the outside. The lower concrete volume ads a sense of solidity and stability to the house, and its layout divided by a garage open on both sides provides an invitation to enter. [
    The project uses the topography of the terrain to its advantage, thus generating two volumes: the upper one which encloses the living and general public areas and the bottom one encompassing the garage, technical and service areas. The outside materials are Japanese style burnt wood (Shou-sugi-ban), Canadian darkened wood, concrete, and ceramic tiles (roof) that in turn evidence the simple lines of the design. The choice of materials demands close to null maintenance.
    The west façade, which faces the street, has dark wood symmetric divisions over the main interior hallway, creating privacy at an angle and almost unrestricted view when perpendicular to them. The purpose is to allow light into the house and permit the views to the equestrian club on the other side of the street while maintaining limited exposure to passersby’s. The east façade faces the golf course, thus there is an honest openness through all glass façade with sliding window doors and complemented with a glass-roofed terrace. In attention to the requested simplicity in the layout, the linear internal distribution has four rooms laid in a sequential manner culminating with living—room, dining-room and kitchen. One dramatic hallways communicates all areas in a straight line, adding to the simplicity of the design layout. With over 650 square meters of inside space, only one internal staircase was employed to communicate with the service areas and garage. There are two accesses to the house without stairs for the owner to comfortably access. In total, the terrain is 2,200 square meters of which ___ square meters were used for the house.
    There is a comforting feeling of warmth inside, but the same time opens up to go and enjoy the outside. It is to be lived inside wanting to be outside and, once outside, feeling invited to be protected inside. The linear and simple geometry of the house is soothed by the layout of the wood beams on the ceiling and the elegant and at the same time rough aspect of the wood floor and wood paneling on the walls. RA.L7 house is one of two recent projects done by the collaboration of Augusto Fernandez and Mauricio Miranda in Rancho Avandaro. Augusto Fernandez, through its K+A Diseño firm, is an active architect and constructor in Valle de Bravo with several country homes competed in the last years. Photography is by Onnis Luque.