Courtyard House

This project began with an unusual client request: admirers of the artist M.C. Escher, they wanted their new home to reference the spirit of his work. Guided by this inspiring challenge, the design emerged as a study of how forms intersect with one another, and in turn interact with the outdoors. The final residence is a series of linked structures; two of them are joined by a gallery, a "walkable skylight," that brings sunlight to the center of the home. In a departure from the right angles that dominate the layout, one structure has a graceful curved roof gesturing up towards a roof garden and the Cypress grove behind it. The project is unified by water, which cascades over a small stone waterfall and flows across the landscape.