Jutting out over a grassy green smooth hill, the cubic upper unit seems to reach toward the sun. Adjustable louvers allow the residents to keep privacy and darkness inside, when closed. When open, the louvers allow natural light to flood the interior, leaking into the space below. On the reverse side of the cube addition, an open window seat can be used for reading or relaxing, leading out to the plush elevated second floor lawn.
Beneath the sloping hill, the house hides its volume. A floor through window-door swings open, blurring the lines between outside and in. The private back yard rises with the hill, making it possible to walk to the second floor, over the lawn. The thick sod and grass also insulates the first floor, keeping it cool in the summer and cozy in the winter, lowering energy bills.
From the outside, the Hill House seems to be a modest home, but hidden beneath the artificial hill is a spacious and light filled residence.
+ Andrew Maynard Architects
