Tuesday
Aug272013
Cracked not broken
Tue, 27 Aug 2013
Like the cracks in the ground as the summer draws on. Do you stop and stub your toe against the mini abyss and wonder what creature shelters within, escaping the fierce summer sun? Not a creepy crawly in this case. No, within this crack is a simple and sustainable single family home based on the Native American pit house ... cool in summer and warm in winter thanks to being buried in the earth. The crack that splits the halves of the house allows light to penetrate deep into the rooms and provides drama. House as art installation by Bercy Chen Studio.
Reader Comments (10)
Wow! Usually I think there is only so much you can do with design, in the end it is rooms. In houses. This though - truly different while still totally liveable!
I totally agree with atma, just so modern and interesting especially for a home - love it
Gorgeous and, I imagine, illegal in Australia. The Helen Lovejoys of this land would have a fit over hillsides leading to unprotected"cliffs" and the unfenced pool.
Now that, my good friends, is design!!
Magnifique! Absolutely gorgeous! Ce dois être fantastique de vivre là avec toute cette lumière naturelle.
I love that type of design, so beautifully integrated in its environment... but so unpractical during winter months (in Colorado!). You have to put a coat and boots on everytime to wanna go from the kitchen/living room part to the bedrooms ... how annoying. That's when you don't have to shovel your way to the kitchen after a snow storm during the night.
Would love to know what it's like having a living roof. Understand the insulating qualities are great, but what about upkeep? Practical considerations, like do you have to mow, weed, re-sod? What about little animals, bugs and such taking up occupation?
I find this house very intriguing.
To Blanders and Stepanka: This house is not in Colorado. It is in Texas, on the Colorado River in a rural area. The climate in the Texas Hill Country is quite moderate. If it gets cold, it is never for long. Snow is not an issue. Maintaining a cool home is the primary issue in this area and this earth-berth home would do just that. In a rural area, many building codes, such as those requiring a fenced pool, do not exist.
Man, the design of this is really stunning.
Great use of light in a sub-subterranean abode.
Here's an article in Dwell about this house: http://www.dwell.com/house-tours/article/modern-bunker-home-texas