Sam’s Creek

We live in a time where smart phones and tablets are in everyone’s hands and multitasking is the normal way of life. Influenced from the client’s multitasking lifestyle, a diverse set of requirements developed for a new home. The clients, one of whom is the owner of a public relations company, requested that multiple activities could take place throughout the house without interruption; a dinner party could take place while simultaneously entertaining a group of children, or guests could come and go without disturbing the rest of the family. These programmatic requests diagrammatically divide the site as well as establish view corridors from front to back. Transparency through the house puts simultaneous activities on display, and provides a setting where guests can see and be seen.

A series of open-ended boxes, each tailored to a portion of the architectural program focuses the view from the street though the house to the landscape in the rear. Mahogany boards wrap floors, ceilings, and the sides of the boxes to heighten the perspectival view and provide privacy from neighbors. Each box has independent audio, video, and climate control to operate autonomously and the scale of each box is tailored to its program. On the exterior, interstitial spaces between the arranged boxes form gardens and patios. The overlap of the boxes on the interior creates thresholds with unique spatial relationships. With each box occupying a specific program, the multitasking of different events is accommodated. A limited material palette provides continuity and serenity amidst the diverse activities. Mahogany is used inside and out for its inherent durability without the need of harsh stains or finishes. Travertine is used as flooring for the terraces and as cladding on portions of the open-ended boxes.

The large flat roofs hide photovoltaic panels to reduce the energy demands of the house. Geothermal heating and cooling, interior light wells, overhangs, integrated operable awnings, and organic finishes further reduce the home’s environmental impact.

The separation of program into individual volumes allows the multitasking lifestyle of the clients to continue into their home. Where multitasking on a daily basis can seem chaotic, a new order is developed by the architecture. The clients’ new home allows them to keep up with their busy lifestyle while also providing respite from it.

Bates Masi + Architects LLC