The LBC Health Petal requirement encompasses aspects of healthy living and biophilia:
The beauty and spirit of Burh Becc speaks to the heart of this LBC agricultural transect project by creating a farmhouse on a hill, adjacent to the seasonal creek which provided water for the 19th-century farming operation. The home was designed not only to appeal to the current owners but also to provide a beacon of hope for a happy, healthy and sustainable future for all.
- Vista. Looking south, the home captures the long view down a tall treeline following the seasonal creek. Framing the beauty of that view was so important that we turned the building at an angle slightly less than optimal for our passive solar strategy. The house is located just over the top of the hill from the public road, thereby eliminating any road noise, and providing for an interesting approach. A 100-year-old Hawthorn tree, previously the east end tree of its hedgerow, was carefully protected during construction, and is now the centerpiece of the courtyard. Finally, this location maximized solar benefits, and gave opportunity for a lower level with two bedrooms, a full bathroom and a laundry room with exterior entrance and covered work porch.
- Structure and form. The architectural form of Burh Becc draws inspiration from the archetypal form of the Tuscan farmhouse common 800 or more years ago: a simple rectangular footprint and low-pitched roofs with exposed timber rafters, and adjacent to a protective tower. Arches in old Tuscan farmhouses, necessary for load-bearing masonry walls, are employed in Burh Becc over windows, doors and decorative niches. These arches, combined with the hand-applied rough stucco finishes, soften the building’s expression and give it an organic and natural feel.
- Approach. The uphill westerly approach from the road is along a 900 foot (274 meters) gently curving dirt driveway. Just before cresting the hill, the top section of the 37’ (11.3 meters) tower comes into view, with windows circling the top and a ship’s beacon lamp at the center. Coming through an opening in the old field hedge row, the home site is unveiled: tower with front door standing next to the single-level farmhouse, with courtyard gardens and curving colonnade connecting house and barn. The path from parking area to front door takes visitors through the native plantings filling the courtyard, past a 100-year-old Hawthorn tree, beneath the colonnade to the heavy, roughhewn front door at the tower base.
- Entry transition. Standing in the 8’ x 8’ (2.4 x 2.4 meters) tower just inside the front door, the view upward goes all the way to the timbered ceiling of the tower, 36’ (11 meters) straight up. Guests cross from there through the east-west rough brick spine hallway which feeds all the rooms in the house. The transition from the soaring tower space through this smaller passageway generates a feeling of curiosity at what lies beyond. In addition, arched nooks and alcoves and interior windows along this entry path are designed to entice.
- Light infusion. A major design objective was to flood the structure with light. In winter, direct sunlight shines through south wall windows, reaching all the way to the northern hallway brick wall. In summer, ample illumination fills the home, with no direct sunshine anywhere. The large area of glazing on the south wall, with clerestory monitors above, is a major source of passive solar heating, while carefully sized overhangs keep all direct sunrays outside during the summer. During some of the coldest yet sunniest days of winter, this design is so effective that windows can be opened to bring in crisp, cool air – an unusually pleasing experience with the warm floor mass and north brick wall keeping the space quite comfortable. Judicious use of smaller windows on the north, east and west sides of the home allow for some daylighting while minimizing the energy penalty.
- Tower and colonnade. What could be more fun than a tower? Besides providing convective cooling through thermal lift and Venturi effect, the tower serves as both a beacon and a source of curiosity. There is something natural and human in the urge to climb to a high vantage point and have a look; finely crafted ladders make that possible. Additionally, the long, curved colonnade embraces the courtyard and guides visitors to the front door.
Leave a Reply