The Grow Box residence occupies the perfect spot on a plot to allow the surrounding Japanese maple trees to thrive. MERGE architects designed the house for an MIT University professor, his wife and their young son as a cozy, elegant home that blurs the line between interior and exterior. Clad in weathering steel, the eye-catching home blends well with its environment.
The 1,975-square-foot house is located in Lexiton, Massachusetts, on a lot populated by over 40 different varieties of Japanese maple trees carefully cultivated by the owners. Considering its surroundings, the house is a combination of a compact volume and spaces that form decks, gardens and courtyards. The integration of interior and exterior spaces is further accentuated by providing each room with a garden and unobstructed views of the surroundings through floor-to-ceiling windows.
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The central courtyard houses a single Himalayan birch tree and collects rainwater and melting snow. Operable windows and sliding doors provide a more direct connection with the outdoors. Weathering steel panels used as exterior cladding material further integrate the home within its lightly disturbed natural surroundings.
Via Design Milk
Photos by John Horner
