A Blog for Architecture Students & Fans of Good Design
Residential Project – The Tree Crotch House
This house’s plan came from a totally random place. I was taking a walk and noticed the branching of a tree and had the idea to use the V shape formed from the crotch of the tree. When I got home I started by laying out this V shape in different patterns. By overlapping the Vs and creating inclusions within other Vs I was able to create a compelling floor plan. The resulting design is a house with 4 bedrooms and 3 full baths with 2 lavs in addition to a separate home gym/spa building that has a yoga studio, weight room, sauna, and another full bath. The main house boasts numerous entertaining spaces; a large outdoor patio overlooking the swimming pool as well as a large living/dining room space and a second floor rec room with its own wine bar. Of particular note is a unique conversation pit built into the swimming pool which is part of the living room. Sunken Conversation PitYou can be in the pool without getting wet. This sunken pit has operable glass walls that drop into the basement to open up the space to the outside. A crank on the adjacent wall allows one to raise or lower those glass plates. The house is built around a central stone wall that spans the full length of the house from the front door to the rear of the house. This wall acts as the dividing line between the public and private spaces in the house. The warmth of the stone also contrasts well against the coldness of the columns and the house’s glass curtain walls. The swimming pool is a focal point of the house and it overflows into a water garden visable from the master bath and yoga studio. This house is also unique in that it uses a ramp system to move between the floors. There are a total of 3 fireplaces in the house and space for 2 cars in the attached garage. Images and plans are shown below.
When I got home I started by laying out this V shape in different patterns. By overlapping the Vs and creating inclusions within other Vs I was able to create a compelling floor plan. The resulting design is a house with 4 bedrooms and 3 full baths with 2 lavs in addition to a separate home gym/spa building that has a yoga studio, weight room, sauna, and another full bath. The main house boasts numerous entertaining spaces; a large outdoor patio overlooking the swimming pool as well as a large living/dining room space and a second floor rec room with its own wine bar. Of particular note is a unique conversation pit built into the swimming pool which is part of the living room. 
A Point In Design 