Tipp Residence

“Everyone can use a good piece of eyewear.” This statement, made to the architects during the design process of a 3,000 square foot house for a designer of an internationally renowned line of eyewear, confirmed the fit of an architect and client reflecting a viewpoint that everyone should have access to good design.

The site, located on a lake, posed an opportunity to allow the house to be a viewing device for the landscape. This device is aggressively positioned toward the surroundings while simultaneously acting as a filter from the lake to the public/private portions of the house. Just as the client talks of fitting eyeglasses to the head, the positioning of the house on the site and the user’s movement through it evokes an awareness of the ground plane and the user’s removal and reconnection to it.

The client’s language and ideas of material and tectonics were an impetus to creating a tectonic language of folding, framing, and transitional transparency throughout the house. This language assisted in addressing issues such as western exposure to sunlight, while not taking away from the potential of the architecture to celebrate the views. Scrim walls and custom sliding doors create flexibility and allow for a desired amount of day-lighting.