eHouse

eHouse is a single family house that was inhabited in 2008 and borrows from two traditions in architecture - a Mediterranean aesthetic of sun and light and a minimalist discipline of line and plane.

The design exhibits a masterful use of that most modern of materials, concrete. The core of the house, both conceptually and structurally, is several vertical and horizontal planes. Conceptually, the vertical planes define the axes of the house and the horizontal planes the spatial volume. Structurally, the concrete elements support every other architectural surface, predominantly glass and drywall.

The extensive use of glass allows that most Mediterranean element, sunlight, to permeate into every room. Whether, direct, indirect, or filtered, light fills this house. Many smaller glazed areas reveal hidden views of exterior garden. A large 46ft expanse of glass floods the main living/dining/kitchen area with daylight. The entire 46ft window system can even be rolled back to create one super room of indoor and outdoor space.

In plan, the house is defined by two axes; one running lengthwise through the main living space and one perpendicular from the main entrance to the staircase. The longitudinal axis is reflected in the roof plane with a long skylight that runs the entire length of the house. The transverse axis is punctuated with a dramatic front entrance of horizontal wooden slats and cantilevered canopy.

The private sector of the house contains six bedroom/studies. The master bedroom, half a flight above the main level, appears to float above the rest of the house. Its cantilevered floor slab with 3 ft of vertical glass beneath it completes the illusion of lightness. Three children’s bedrooms are on the main level and two guest/ study rooms are placed on the lowest level.

The site is masterfully landscaped and includes several decks and a reflecting pool. Because the site is comprised of two standard lots, extensive outdoor space was available for these site amenities. The placement of fenestration within the house makes full use of the views to the outside and creates interior view corridors at every turn.

The large floor plan of 5,000 square feet gave expression to a flowing main level with ample opportunity for outdoor living. The beauty of the eHouse is the marriage of livability and minimalist/Mediterranean design sense.