Architecture Wednesday: Rimrock

My first thought, seeing this house, was that it resembled a rusted-out rail car perched on a hilltop. But this is no abandoned train; this is Rimrock, an imposing and modern home, built in the shape of a T, above the Spokane River, in Spokane, Washington.

The name of the home refers to this type of geological occurrence, with a steep rock wall on the upper edge of a plateau or canyon. The house sits above a natural and pre-existing “walking “path for the animals, who use it to move between the mountains and the river.

Although the house is here now, great care was taken to ensure that animals can still move through the area, and that idea required careful positioning of the home and consideration of the materials used in building it.

The resulting design reverses the typical transparency that you might find in a “view” home; In Rimrock, the upper portion, which is typically most transparent, is more private, while the lower floor―the more public family and gathering area―has more transparency and contains that bridge element that spans across the game path. This transparent main level includes the kitchen, dining and living area, with bedrooms and baths upstairs.

Tough, and durable, building materials, mostly steel and glass, were used to stand up to harsh environmental conditions and will weather naturally. The structure is 90-95% locally sourced reclaimed material; there are automatic, seasonally adjusted exterior shades on all windows, decreasing the energy used for cooling, while erosion of 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.

Good for the animals, good for the environment, good for the views.

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