There were three main ideas that I worked with when designing a house for my client 'The Horse Trainer', these were wrapping, verticality and form. All ideas were spawn from the notion that his work life and home life produced two completely different personalities or 'characters'. One an ambitious, focused, confident, champion, dedicated solely to training and especially winning. The other a carefree, humble, romantic, very much in love with his wife, his entire world. These two personalities speak out through the designs of each of the four houses creating a structural extension of himself rather than just a space for living.
HOUSE ONE // The Creeping Vine
Box like structures, organizing each of the 12 units in order of importance to the my client. At the heart of the house is the bedroom, almost completely enclosed and with the most protection out of any of the rooms. My client views this room as the most important as it is where he spends the most time with his wife. All units are encased within a 'creeping vine' structure which represents my clients yearning to protect his wife, his precious jewel. The open areas of the house as well as the rooftops are areas in which he spends alone [bathroom, study and tower] he views these units as less important than the ones in which he spends in company, therefore they are open, more dangerous and less protected.
HOUSE TWO // Rapunzel's Castle
A single path that winds through a series of [again] box like structures which begin to twist and warp as the path unfolds. At the front of the house the path as well as the rooms are all very square, right angled, clean and precise, this represents my clients working personality, his public self, straight forward, focused and strong. Rooms located in the front of the house are the study, tower, and bathroom and this is the area at which he first advances upon when coming home from work and the last area he moves through when leaving for work. As the path progresses the house begins to move up off of the ground and areas can only be reached by proceeding up staircases, as the house comes to an end the final space, highest above the ground, is the bedroom. The warping of the box like structures represents his home personality, his private self, carefree yet filled with passion for his wife.
HOUSE THREE // Superman's Ice Cave
Similar to 'Rapunzel's Castle' this house is organized in a very straight forward manner towards the front and gets a little crazy towards the back. The idea for this structure was again protection of his wife as represented by the sharp blades surrounding the the heart and soul of the house, the bedroom, living space and kitchen. This area contains minimal fenestration and can only be reached by passing through the rest of the house [study & bathroom] there is no back entrance, similar in many way to a fortress. Located to the right of the entrance is my client's 'tower unit' it is separated from the rest of the house and compared to all the other rooms has no protection whatsoever. His wife does not use this room, therefore it is of no importance.
HOUSE FOUR // The Conch
The most simple of all of the houses, The Conch gets its name from the conch shell, a object with a hard outer layer that is compartmentalized from large to small and wraps over itself protecting the inside. The outer walls, roof and passageway on the right represent my clients protection of his wife and the rooms are organized in order of importance [rooms in which he shares with his wife large and protected at the back, to rooms in which he spends time alone open to the outside and at the front].
