Contemporary Creek House On A Boulder Site

This California home is built on a site with a lot of boulders and they are all untouched

This California home is built on a site with a lot of boulders and they are all untouched

The AIDS research scientist lives in New York City but desired a place to escape to. After finding a site on rough terrain leading down to a ravine in Truckee, near Lake Tahoe, he turned to locally based Faulkner Architects. He didn’t want the boulders here to be touched and the architects designed the residence over or around all of the largest boulders dotted around the plot.

The low-slung Creek House is clad in concrete, wood, and dark panels – a sober palette that allows it to blend into its context. The main entrance is from the north, this provides privacy for the client, but also helps shade the interiors from the summer sunlight, which can be harsh.

Upon entering you’ll see some public areas that lead to wide-open private spaces, which isn’t usual: we are used to see small and enclosed private spaces. An open-plan kitchen, living, and dining room occupies the center of the home and overlooks the ravine below. A corridor follows the main concrete wall, leading to private quarters at either end of the longitudinal home.

In addition to the two full bedrooms, a partial lower level contains a meditation space that can be used as a sleeping area when required. Above the main volume of the house, a single room serves as a home office, but also acts as a clerestory window to bring light and air into the center of the building.

The home decor is contemporary, the furniture is simple and laconic, most of basic colors – black, grey, creamy, and just a couple of colorful accents like a red lamp.

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The courtyard features a rock garden with a pond filled with pebbles that is covered from two sides with metal covered walls

The courtyard features a rock garden with a pond filled with pebbles that is covered from two sides with metal covered walls

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There's much glazing in the home to let natural light in, the glass used is dark to prevent excessive sunlight, and even the doors are pivot to make the house more seamless

There's much glazing in the home to let natural light in, the glass used is dark to prevent excessive sunlight, and even the doors are pivot to make the house more seamless

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The decor is done with contemporary furniture in creamy, grey and black, and there are some bright touches, for example, red pillows

The decor is done with contemporary furniture in creamy, grey and black, and there are some bright touches, for example, red pillows

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The kitchen and dining space are united, there are upper cabinets of different height, a marble backsplash and modern leather chairs

The kitchen and dining space are united, there are upper cabinets of different height, a marble backsplash and modern leather chairs

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Glass floors here visually remove the boundaries and make the house more light-filled, there's a large double height window

Glass floors here visually remove the boundaries and make the house more light-filled, there's a large double height window

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Here's a meditation space that can be opened to the stone garden with the original boulders from the site

Here's a meditation space that can be opened to the stone garden with the original boulders from the site

Source: dezeen