Wednesday, March 24, 2021

Architecture Wednesday: Lichen House

The last time we visited wine country, we saw a tiny house; beautiful, but tiny. This time we’re going bigger and ore modern, with a pool and guest house and expansive views.

The Lichen House was situated on this plot of land to kind of nestle within the coastal fog and the coastal oaks in the hills above California’s Sonoma Valley. The free‐ranging branches of the land’s mature oak trees support veils of draping Ramalina Lichen—hence the name—that filter sunlight, capture moisture and nutrients for their hosts, and remove pollutants from the air through photosynthesis.

It makes for a healthier life in a healthier, gorgeous home, though that makes no difference to me; I just love the house, and the land …and the proximity to wine.

The architect began by siting the house with a strategic solar orientation;  the maximization of daylight and expansive southern views protected by a deep overhanging shade trellis that, like the lichen in the trees, creates a filtered, dappled light alongside the public section of the home. It filters the high summer sun and allows for solar heat gain in the winter when the sun is low in the sky.

Inside the home, a south‐facing unconditioned hallway space with a series of operable windows along the private wing of the home serves as an interstitial buffer between the sleeping quarters and the direct southern exposure. In fact, each room , in both the south-facing and west-facing wings, are carefully tuned to its own spatial “microclimate” considering, privacy, views, solar orientation, quality of light, and air flow.

It’s made for the views and made to make the best of the land and the weather and the lichen.

Click to emBIGGERate ...

11 comments:

  1. I love it.
    I find it fascinating that people would plan a house like this: with details about the ventilation and about the sun and how it hits the house. I'd like to have tons of money to actually ask someone to build me a house.
    It would look pretty much like this one LOL

    And now I want wine.

    XOXO

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  2. The outside looks a little to "Motel" for me. But the grounds view and trees are stunning. The inside is nice, clean and modern, a bit cold for me, but loved the concrete floors, go figure. Noe one feature slaps me like I would have to live here though. That said, I do enjoy those wide angular window ledges.

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  3. I'd like to order one, please. I'll email my address.

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  4. As always loves the outdoors
    and the views!

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  5. Nope. Too narrow and rectangular for me. Not even a touch of red can help. Sigh, I've resigned to being the polar opposite of every body up in here, almost every single time!

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  6. Hmm. Leaves me cold. It's too dry and too futzy. Weird. Not a comfortable thing in sight. You know what? I had no idea what day of the week it was until I saw this post. I have work to do. Kizzes.

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  7. @Deedles
    I'm gonna find a red house, dammit!!!!!

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  8. Knowing you, sort of, it's going to be a converted barn somewhere out in the cow overrun boonies, isn't it dear Bobulah?

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  9. It's a beautiful house, and I love these glassy modern styles -- but I wonder how it would feel to live in such a big, open space. A little like living in an auditorium! (I could live in that guest house, though.)

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  10. Interesting, but it leaves me a little flat, it needs a spark, some color, some inspiration, a more functional kitchen (there I go again about expensive kitchens that look inconvenient to cook in.)

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  11. What a beautiful home...Love it...I love the outside space...I am a fan of the outdoors and the sun BUT I don't like the sun beating directly down on my bald head...This is perfect...I would even be satisfied with the guest house...I'll book the movers...Tell Carlos and the children we are moving...

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