A home and the land it sits upon are inextricably joined in a marriage that can be as fulfilling as it can be fruitless.
Designers and architects understand this connection and make site planning the first order of B business when designing a new home.
Be it a rolling pasture or a precipitous cliff, every house is joined to a site that should directly inform its massing and layout. The unique characteristics of a property are essential cues in the formation of a design and should be seen as opportunities to embrace rather than obstacles to overcome.
Many of the finest examples of residential architecture are inspired responses to distinct qualities of a unique site. Arthur Erickson's Smith Residence built in West Vancouver in 1964 boldly bridges two granite outcroppings that, to a less gifted designer, might have been seen as a hindrance rather than an inspiration.
Supported on huge fir beams that bridge between the two outcroppings, the fully glazed living room floats above the surrounding landscape and spans the courtyard entry below. It's a masterpiece of residential design, revealed by the challenges of a demanding site rather than in spite of one.
I was approached recently by a couple wanting to build a new home on a small, steeply sloping site, facing the ocean. The 25-foot-wide and 100-foot-long site was distinctive enough because of its tiny footprint but the fact that it dropped almost 60 feet over its length (imagine a doubles tennis court tilted at 45 degrees and you get the picture of the site) made the property truly unique. The clients wished to create a small, efficiently designed home that would capture expansive views to the ocean while still maintaining a sense of privacy from directly adjacent neighbouring properties.
The unique site profoundly shaped the design of the building with its mass sliding down the steep site and terminating in a dramatic cantilever extending out into space to the ocean. Large openings facing the water mixed with strategically located horizontal windows on the sides of the house provide a stunning panoramic view while still shielding views to adjacent properties.
The main living spaces feel like they're floating above the ocean, fully capturing the surrounding beauty, while still maintaining a strong sense of privacy. What at first glance looked like an impossibly difficult site to work with proved, in the end, to be the catalyst for a distinct building expression.
Looking for the essential "CUES" from your site is an easy acronym to remember when approaching site design:
- Capture views and sun. Layout your house to best utilize view corridors and sun. Don't build your house on the sunny spot of your lot but rather adjacent to it. Try to maximize those south facing outdoor spaces. Look to bringing that winter sun into the house while keeping the summer rays at bay.
- What's Unique about your property? It might be a cliff, a view or a just a big, bright yard but this special feature can play an important role in the design of your house. Embrace this uniqueness and treat it as an inspiration rather than an obstacle.
- Understand the Essence of the site. Try to work with the site rather than force something on it. The placement of structures, roads, gardens and outdoor areas should enhance the site rather than take from it.
- Be Strategic in the placement of your house and the landscaping. Use the building itself to screen unwanted views and create private zones. Be creative with your landscaping. It too can work as an effective tool to separate public and private areas.
Kevin Vallely is a residential designer in North Vancouver. His website is www.vallely.ca.
