Flower House / NO ARCHITECTURE

Flower House / NO ARCHITECTURE - Exterior PhotographyFlower House / NO ARCHITECTURE - Interior Photography, Table, Chair, BeamFlower House / NO ARCHITECTURE - Interior Photography, Sink, Windows, BeamFlower House / NO ARCHITECTURE - Exterior Photography, Beam, GardenFlower House / NO ARCHITECTURE - More Images+ 33

  • Design Team: Dana AlMathkoor, Maria Carriero, Yan Chen, Jennifer Diep, Sbrissa Eleonora, Andrew Heid, Yawen Jin, James Kubiniec, Chung Ming Lam, Jean Lien, Naifei Liu, Alberto Andrés Silva Olivo, Jie Xie, Jialin Yuan, Daniel Zuvia
  • Horticultural & Ecological Consultant: Patrick Cullina Horticultural Design
  • Country: United States
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Flower House / NO ARCHITECTURE - Exterior Photography
Aerial view looking south. Surrounded by several hundred acres of agricultural land trust, the site receives immediate views of working farms and the Berkshire mountains in the distance. Inspired by these panoramas, a circular concept of timber pavilions captures views from every direction.. Image © Iwan Baan

Text description provided by the architects. The project reinterprets and expands on the glass house typology through its dynamic relationship to the native landscape and a plan configuration that organizes the six interlocking pavilions into “petals” around a central open courtyard.

Flower House / NO ARCHITECTURE - Exterior Photography
West facade. The project reconceives the “glass house” typology through dynamic relations to the natural landscape and native context. Two concentric glass envelopes negotiate competing demands for east-west views, while preserving thermal benefits of solar exposure in winter. . Image © Iwan Baan
Flower House / NO ARCHITECTURE - Image 31 of 38
Plan Oblique
Flower House / NO ARCHITECTURE - Exterior Photography, Beam, Garden
Courtyard view looking east. Native plantings fill the central garden courtyard providing summer shade and breezes. In winter, deciduous trees provide winter sun for the interiors. The landscape berm provides thermal insulation year-round.. Image © Iwan Baan

Partially excavated into a hillside, the project’s topography offers thermal insulation while modulating the interior spaces along spectrums of open to closed, public to private, above and below grade. Uphill to the west, clerestory windows illuminate the bedrooms and baths; while downhill to the east, the more public programs open to the surrounding landscape through floor-to-ceiling windows.

Flower House / NO ARCHITECTURE - Interior Photography, Living Room, Beam
Eastern horizon from living and kitchen threshold: The communal spaces connect dramatic panoramas and encourage a reverence and appreciation for nature.. Image Courtesy of NO ARCHITECTURE
Flower House / NO ARCHITECTURE - Image 33 of 38
Plan
Flower House / NO ARCHITECTURE - Interior Photography, Windows, Beam
Courtesy of NO ARCHITECTURE

Similarly, in plan, the six pavilions are oriented to optimize varying sun exposures and levels of privacy, while the cantilevered roof canopies provide weather protection, passive shading for the interior, and a dramatic frame that expands the transition from interior to exterior.

Flower House / NO ARCHITECTURE - Interior Photography, Living Room, Sofa, Windows, Chair, Beam
Living room towards guest bedroom pavilions: The stepped concrete foundation walls follow the undulating topography, and therefore, modulate interior atmospheres along spectrums of open to closed, public to private, as well as above and below grade.. Image © Iwan Baan
Flower House / NO ARCHITECTURE - Image 36 of 38
Section Drawing. Uphill to the west, clerestory windows illuminate the near subterranean bedrooms and baths; while downhill to the east, the more public programs open to the surrounding landscape through floor-to-ceiling windows.
Flower House / NO ARCHITECTURE - Interior Photography, Beam
Courtesy of NO ARCHITECTURE

Structurally, each pavilion operates like a Miesian umbrella diagram—a canopy open to all sides—with an exposed concrete slab-on-grade below. The entire structure is vertically supported by load-bearing window frames and stabilized laterally by T- and L-shaped cores that conceal shear walls.

Flower House / NO ARCHITECTURE - Interior Photography, Bedroom, Beam
Courtesy of NO ARCHITECTURE
Flower House / NO ARCHITECTURE - Image 35 of 38
Elevation
Flower House / NO ARCHITECTURE - Interior Photography, Sink, Windows, Beam
Courtesy of NO ARCHITECTURE

By consolidating the bathroom, storage, and mechanicals within these structural cores, the project maximizes usable space and minimizes poche. The resulting column-free interiors liberate interior movement and maintain clear sightlines between the internal landscape of the courtyard and the exterior landscape beyond. In striving to clarify and reduce the profile of architectural components, we find a balance for the structure’s spatial exuberance, while foregrounding the landscape and program.

Flower House / NO ARCHITECTURE - Exterior Photography
North view towards master suite pavilion. Partially excavated into a hillside, the project’s topography not only offers thermal insulation, but also modulates interior atmospheres along spectrums of open to closed, public to private, as well as above and below grade.. Image Courtesy of NO ARCHITECTURE

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Cite: "Flower House / NO ARCHITECTURE" 03 Dec 2023. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/989342/flower-house-no-architecture> ISSN 0719-8884

Aerial view looking northeast. As the latest addition to a multi-generational property, the Flower House respects the neighboring vernacular buildings and agricultural context, and reflects the undulating mountains on the horizon.. Image © Iwan Baan

花之家 / NO ARCHITECTURE

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