Woodland retreat

Copyright Mario Grigni Architect 1990-2009 ©

2850 SF contemporary with 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 2 half bath, shop, motor home docking facilities, low maintenance.

• Designed for a retired couple, with an active social life and occasional visiting elderly relatives, on a wooded subdivision lot. The house and the grounds had to be almost maintenance free because the owners frequently take long trips by motor home. To this end the house was located so that we would save the most trees and avoid a lawn altogether. Weathering finishes, wide overhangs, and no gutters reduce the maintenance.
• To improve the brightness of the interior we installed high windows arranged in light towers, over the kitchen and master bedroom . The light towers are 8' square turrets, with fixed windows on all sides, that sit astride the ridge of the roof. Inside, the walls of the square light wells are covered with mirrors to multiply the views of the sky and tree tops. The light towers let in plenty of light like skylights but, unlike them, they keep the summer sun out. This is achieved by calculating the overhangs over the tower windows on the South side and using deciduous trees for the East and West side.
• The guests approach the house walking through a garden to a covered entry deck, that opens to the living room, the dining room, the convertible music room and the rear deck. The rear deck, enclosed on 3 sides by the house, functions like an outdoor living room. The music room can be closed off by a 6' pocket door and used as a guest bedroom.
• Designed to be fully accessible to the physically handicapped except for the step down living and dining room.
• The house electrical system is setup to take emergency power from the motor home generator in case of power failure.