94.0

94.2 is the first of series of 16 residences on a clifftop site in the American Pacific Northwest. The project makes use of a technique of tumbling cedar burl offcuts (a high-quality waste product of the local logging industry) to create numerous boulder shaped modules ranging in size from 150 – 350mm. These wood boulders are bundled in large baskets and used as void forms against which concrete is cast, creating the rooms and skylights of the residence, and leaving a negative impression of their form as interior finish. After the concrete cures, the now petrified wood boulders are mounted to metal standoffs on the cliff facing west façade, to create a cloud-like building envelope. This suspended wooden skin creates a kinetic performance as the stones gently knock and sway alongside their forested surroundings. Over time, mosses and lichens will grow on the wood boulders, creating a living veil. In contrast, the east façade of the house is buried, allowing the forest to extend up over the roof to the cliff’s edge. Entry is through a discreet path set between retaining walls, contrasting the experience of entering a cavernous underground space to the sudden discovery of being suspended over the edge of the cliff.