H_RBB
Private Residence
Adaptive Reuse
Sanford, North Carolina
A proposed barnhouse reclaimation project at the entry to the Riverbend site.
Patterns are prevalent all around the site, patterns that can influence not only the characteristics of outside skin of the structures, but also the placement of doors and windows resembling the hollowed characteristics of a tree, or the use of a natural roofing system that brings the flora of the earth to the roof. The site has such varied characteristics that each structure will be a composition of art, architecture, and nature derived from the selected location and respondent to the scale of use and surrounding contextual clues. Building in harmony with nature takes patience; the design of structures at Riverbend must be comfortable with natures irregularities. Looking at single elements in nature will reveal strict left-to-right symmetry, but when you look at these elements in relation to the whole, they are extremely irregular, as a result of growth and weathering over time. Without hesitation Riverbend will have a persona of its own. The natural setting and construction will reflect the vernacular of North Carolina architecture in a rustic yet contemporary expression. Aesthetic will be found through the application of textures responsive to the context, and welcoming of the extension of the natural environment into the built spaces. Walking in from the outside will reveal a progression of materials that blend the two environments together; materials will fade into the landscape and over time the structures will become one with the surrounding nature.