Three principle views were responsible for giving this house its principle axis and setting the stage for its design. Situated on a hill overlooking the Ozarks, the home enjoys two distant views of rolling countryside. The third important view that formed the shape of the home is of a good flat grass area steps from the back of the home. Designed for a family with two young boys, the view of the area where they would paly was a very important one to the mother of the home. Therefore, this space can be seen from all the major areas of the home.  

Although the homeowner wanted a very traditional American Colonial design, we were still able to incorporate our ideas about how a home’s design should encourage a constant interaction between occupants and the surrounding natural environment. View corridors where the primary vehicle used to accomplish our goal, with each room of the house bearing a direct connection with the landscape visible through the carefully placed windows. This sets up a spatial sequence that establishes a strong relationship between the interior and the exterior.

A threshold between the interior and exterior is created with a large wrap around deck on the main floor and a waterproof second floor deck totaling 1,164 square feet. 

Location: Laclede County, Missouri

Size: 3,013 finished square feet. 1,164 square feet of deck space.        

Year: 2012

Photographs: Kassi Bauman Glassman, BigStar Photography