General Description: House, Warren - Vermont

This 4000 sf house for a family with young children is sited on a 30 acre hilltop set
within a narrow valley between two green mountain ranges. The topographic and
geological character of the site, a series of rising ledges, is carried into the interior
of the house. Roof planes are understood to be another kind of ground. Slightly
canted and slipping past their supporting walls, they reiterate the slope of the ground
and the glacial action that shaped the profile of the land. Walls are doubled to accept
additional insulation and in some areas the second layer peels to reveal this extra
thickness. The south facing wall acts as a glass screen fronting the view to the
plateau/lawn. A central hearth anchors the house with fireplaces facing each of the
sitting rooms. This traditional element has been transformed into a more porous central
"L" figure which shelters the living room fireplace, the kitchen wood stove and a small
family sitting area. The principal living area has exposed wood structural beams and
posts. These elements are intended to operate in analogy to the forest itself as they
slip between the more solid masses of the bedroom wing and the guest/study wing.