Prompt: The inception of the Shenandoah House can be traced back to a dinner party where the clients shared sketches of a home inspired by travels in Athens. This initial drawing guided the collaboration with Schaum/Shieh (see more here), resulting in a final design centered around a long, airy plan that playfully embeds into the topography. In contrast to common reactions to hilltop sites, such as cantilevers, the architects opted for a subtle and organic response. The design avoids flattening any part of the site, choosing to build along the natural contours. A gray metal roof ties the elements together, emphasizing the lines and volumes of the slopes, creating a harmonious connection between the Shenandoah House and its natural setting. Ultimately, the team has developed a residence that respects the landscape and caters to the practical needs of its inhabitants. ‘We didn’t have the inclination to make a dramatic use of the steepness with a cantilever, and we didn’t want to flatten any portion of the site to erase the slope, so we decided to build along the contours as much as we could,’ explains Shieh.

Negative: blur, blurred, deformed

Style: Photographic