Building
on a sloping site presents a challenge and a platform for creative architecture
that utilizes site conditions to benefit the building, and vice versa. Although
‘proper use’ often means the needs and desires of the client, it is
one of the architects responsibilities to enlighten his or her client as to
the full potential of the site. Experienced and confident architects, who use
self-expression and creativity as fodder for their egos, seldom need be
reminded of this. Young architects, anxious to comply with the clients every
whim, are sometimes less daring.
The
common point of departure of the two houses below, both planned by young
architects, is the sloping site. One faces the orchards of the Sharon,
the other hovers over a stormy beach along the Pacific
Ocean.
1: House in the Sharon
A
living unit and a self-contained basement were added onto a cubic structure
built in the 1980s. While the entrance-level bedroom unit was left untouched,
other areas were renovated and reorganized. The enclosed existing boxes were
dispersed into a system of freestanding walls, blurring the boundaries between
the original structure and the new extension. At the heart of the design is a
light and shading system granted by the new staircase, which serves as a light
shaft, as well a glass brisesoleil and light slits
between the ceiling and walls.
An
integral part of the living area is the floating deck that takes in the view,
while the building remains spatially disconnected from its extensive garden.
2: House in Ecuador
Clinging
to a cliff above the Pacific Ocean, this house
takes into account the extreme site conditions, the typical weather patterns of
the Equator, and the occasional seismic movement. Located on latitude -1,
longitude 81, the house is exposed to direct sunlight year-round. It receives
southern sunlight with rainstorms (el niño) during the winter and northern sunlight with
strong draught seasons (la niña) during
summer.
The
absence of a binding built environment was replaced by an ecological approach
expressed by a combination of modern technology and traditional local building
methods, borrowing the terraces idea from the ancient Incas. The structure of
the rocky land and the extreme natural phenomena inspired an irregular plan,
engaging the outdoors and indoors with a sheltered interior courtyard. The
angled foundation and walls minimize the pressure on the structure during
seismic activity, while allowing controlled exposure to natural light that
varies throughout the day and during the seasons.
The
sculptured cliff surface was covered with a porous net that enables growth of
natural vegetation irrigated with wastewater. The stairs leading to the beach
are of bamboo according to the local tradition, and covered with clay for
protection.
