Nestled on a slope of the Allegheny Mountains in western Virginia, US, the Shenandoah House, designed by Schaum/Shieh, arranges its living spaces along a continuous line that follows the contours of its pitted terrain. This unconventional layout blends contemporary architecture with the natural topography, offering sweeping views of the rolling hills. The elongated plan, resembling irregular pods connected by a central corridor, creates pockets for gardens and outdoor nooks, erasing the boundary between the indoors and outdoors. The doubling of the ridgeline and the rounding of the peak add a gentle touch, reflecting the sloping surroundings. Designed as a 2.750-square-foot (255,5 square-meter) residence and writer’s retreat for a couple deeply connected to the local landscape, the project addresses the challenges posed by the steep site. As explained by Schaum/Shieh co-principal Rosalyne Shieh, they aimed for a subtle intervention in the landscape, seeking to create a house that fits organically without straightforwardly adopting local vernacular materials or solutions. ‘We focused on the hill, the seasons, the distant view, and the intimate life of the site.’
1 of 2
More Like This
Nestled on a slope of the Allegheny Mountains in western Virginia, US, the Shenandoah House, designed by SchaumShieh, arranges its living spaces along a continuous line that follows the contours of its pitted terrain. This unconventional layout blends contemporary architecture with the natural topography, offering sweeping views of the rolling hills. The elongated plan, resembling irregular pods connected by a central corridor, creates pockets for gardens and outdoor nooks, erasing the boundary between the indoors and outdoors. The doubling of the ridgeline and the rounding of the peak add a gentle touch, reflecting the sloping surroundings. Designed as a 2.750-square-foot (255,5 square-meter) residence and writer’s retreat for a couple deeply connected to the local landscape, the project addresses the challenges posed by the steep site. As explained by SchaumShieh co-principal Rosalyne Shieh, they aimed for a subtle intervention in the landscape, seeking to create a house that fits organically without straightforwardly adopting local vernacular materials or solutions. ‘We focused on the hill, the seasons, the distant view, and the intimate life of the site.’
1 of 2
Nestled on a slope of the Allegheny Mountains in western Virginia, US, the Shenandoah House, designed by SchaumShieh, arranges its living spaces along a continuous line that follows the contours of its pitted terrain. This unconventional layout blends contemporary architecture with the natural topography, offering sweeping views of the rolling hills. The elongated plan, resembling irregular pods connected by a central corridor, creates pockets for gardens and outdoor nooks, erasing the boundary between the indoors and outdoors. The doubling of the ridgeline and the rounding of the peak add a gentle touch, reflecting the sloping surroundings. Designed as a 2.750-square-foot (255,5 square-meter) residence and writer’s retreat for a couple deeply connected to the local landscape, the project addresses the challenges posed by the steep site. As explained by SchaumShieh co-principal Rosalyne Shieh, they aimed for a subtle intervention in the landscape, seeking to create a house that fits organically without straightforwardly adopting local vernacular materials or solutions. ‘We focused on the hill, the seasons, the distant view, and the intimate life of the site.’
1 of 2
Nestled on a slope of the Allegheny Mountains in western Virginia, US, the Shenandoah House, designed by Schaum/Shieh, arranges its living spaces along a continuous line that follows the contours of its pitted terrain. This unconventional layout blends contemporary architecture with the natural topography, offering sweeping views of the rolling hills. The elongated plan, resembling irregular pods connected by a central corridor, creates pockets for gardens and outdoor nooks, erasing the boundary between the indoors and outdoors. The doubling of the ridgeline and the rounding of the peak add a gentle touch, reflecting the sloping surroundings. Designed as a 2.750-square-foot (255,5 square-meter) residence and writer’s retreat for a couple deeply connected to the local landscape, the project addresses the challenges posed by the steep site. As explained by Schaum/Shieh co-principal Rosalyne Shieh, they aimed for a subtle intervention in the landscape, seeking to create a house that fits organically without straightforwardly adopting local vernacular materials or solutions. ‘We focused on the hill, the seasons, the distant view, and the intimate life of the site.’
1 of 2
Nestled on a slope of the Allegheny Mountains in western Virginia, US, the Shenandoah House, designed by SchaumShieh, arranges its living spaces along a continuous line that follows the contours of its pitted terrain. This unconventional layout blends contemporary architecture with the natural topography, offering sweeping views of the rolling hills. The elongated plan, resembling irregular pods connected by a central corridor, creates pockets for gardens and outdoor nooks, erasing the boundary between the indoors and outdoors. The doubling of the ridgeline and the rounding of the peak add a gentle touch, reflecting the sloping surroundings. Designed as a 2.750-square-foot (255,5 square-meter) residence and writer’s retreat for a couple deeply connected to the local landscape, the project addresses the challenges posed by the steep site. As explained by SchaumShieh co-principal Rosalyne Shieh, they aimed for a subtle intervention in the landscape, seeking to create a house that fits organically without straightforwardly adopting local vernacular materials or solutions. ‘We focused on the hill, the seasons, the distant view, and the intimate life of the site.’
1 of 2
Nestled on a slope of the Allegheny Mountains in western Virginia, US, the Shenandoah House, designed by Schaum/Shieh, arranges its living spaces along a continuous line that follows the contours of its pitted terrain. This unconventional layout blends contemporary architecture with the natural topography, offering sweeping views of the rolling hills. The elongated plan, resembling irregular pods connected by a central corridor, creates pockets for gardens and outdoor nooks, erasing the boundary between the indoors and outdoors. The doubling of the ridgeline and the rounding of the peak add a gentle touch, reflecting the sloping surroundings. Designed as a 2.750-square-foot (255,5 square-meter) residence and writer’s retreat for a couple deeply connected to the local landscape, the project addresses the challenges posed by the steep site. As explained by Schaum/Shieh co-principal Rosalyne Shieh, they aimed for a subtle intervention in the landscape, seeking to create a house that fits organically without straightforwardly adopting local vernacular materials or solutions. ‘We focused on the hill, the seasons, the distant view, and the intimate life of the site.’
1 of 2
Nestled on a slope of the Allegheny Mountains in western Virginia, US, the Shenandoah House, designed by Schaum/Shieh, arranges its living spaces along a continuous line that follows the contours of its pitted terrain. This unconventional layout blends contemporary architecture with the natural topography, offering sweeping views of the rolling hills. The elongated plan, resembling irregular pods connected by a central corridor, creates pockets for gardens and outdoor nooks, erasing the boundary between the indoors and outdoors. The doubling of the ridgeline and the rounding of the peak add a gentle touch, reflecting the sloping surroundings. Designed as a 2.750-square-foot (255,5 square-meter) residence and writer’s retreat for a couple deeply connected to the local landscape, the project addresses the challenges posed by the steep site. As explained by Schaum/Shieh co-principal Rosalyne Shieh, they aimed for a subtle intervention in the landscape, seeking to create a house that fits organically without straightforwardly adopting local vernacular materials or solutions. ‘We focused on the hill, the seasons, the distant view, and the intimate life of the site.’
1 of 2
The inception of the Shenandoah House can be traced back to a dinner party where the clients shared sketches of a home inspired by travels in Athens. This initial drawing guided the collaboration with SchaumShieh (see more here), resulting in a final design centered around a long, airy plan that playfully embeds into the topography. In contrast to common reactions to hilltop sites, such as cantilevers, the architects opted for a subtle and organic response. The design avoids flattening any part of the site, choosing to build along the natural contours. A gray metal roof ties the elements together, emphasizing the lines and volumes of the slopes, creating a harmonious connection between the Shenandoah House and its natural setting. Ultimately, the team has developed a residence that respects the landscape and caters to the practical needs of its inhabitants. ‘We didn’t have the inclination to make a dramatic use of the steepness with a cantilever, and we didn’t want to flatten any portion of the site to erase the slope, so we decided to build along the contours as much as we could,’ explains Shieh.
1 of 2
‘The rolling hills of the Allegheny Mountains in that area of the Shenandoah Valley have such a soft, gentle feeling,’ describes the team. ‘They are like a well worn pair of corduroys —full of relief and detail, but a soft relief.’ This perception of soft relief significantly shapes the material choices for the Shenandoah House, particularly evident in the roof, which combines flexibility with the durability required for the area’s seasonal variations. Constructed from insulated stucco, the main body of the home integrates the smooth, white finish reminiscent of seaside Greek architecture with materials like the Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems (EIFS) cladding system, a locally used solution found on small commercial buildings such as gas stations. The design deliberately draws from these influences to create a unique aesthetic for the Shenandoah House.
1 of 2
:In the design for this single family house the sloping site is used as a device for programmatic and volumetric organization. A box-like volume bifurcates into two separate volumes; one seamlessly following the northern slope; the other lifted above the hill creating a covered parking space and generating a split-level internal organization. The volumetric transition is generated by a set of five parallel walls that rotate along a horizontal axis from vertical to horizontal. The ruled surface maintaining this transition is repeated five times in the building. From inside the huge window strips from floor to ceiling allow a fluid continuity between interior and landscape. From the exterior the reflective glass seams to become one with its surroundings.
1 of 2
:In the design for this single family house the sloping site is used as a device for programmatic and volumetric organization. A box-like volume bifurcates into two separate volumes; one seamlessly following the northern slope; the other lifted above the hill creating a covered parking space and generating a split-level internal organization. The volumetric transition is generated by a set of five parallel walls that rotate along a horizontal axis from vertical to horizontal. The ruled surface maintaining this transition is repeated five times in the building. From inside the huge window strips from floor to ceiling allow a fluid continuity between interior and landscape. From the exterior the reflective glass seams to become one with its surroundings.
1 of 2
:In the design for this single family house the sloping site is used as a device for programmatic and volumetric organization. A box-like volume bifurcates into two separate volumes; one seamlessly following the northern slope; the other lifted above the hill creating a covered parking space and generating a split-level internal organization. The volumetric transition is generated by a set of five parallel walls that rotate along a horizontal axis from vertical to horizontal. The ruled surface maintaining this transition is repeated five times in the building. From inside the huge window strips from floor to ceiling allow a fluid continuity between interior and landscape. From the exterior the reflective glass seams to become one with its surroundings.
1 of 2
:In the design for this single family house the sloping site is used as a device for programmatic and volumetric organization. A box-like volume bifurcates into two separate volumes; one seamlessly following the northern slope; the other lifted above the hill creating a covered parking space and generating a split-level internal organization. The volumetric transition is generated by a set of five parallel walls that rotate along a horizontal axis from vertical to horizontal. The ruled surface maintaining this transition is repeated five times in the building. From inside the huge window strips from floor to ceiling allow a fluid continuity between interior and landscape. From the exterior the reflective glass seams to become one with its surroundings.
1 of 2
Visualize a modern house elegantly perched on a mountainside. The architecture features clean lines, extensive glass surfaces, and a minimalist design. The facade incorporates contemporary materials such as concrete, steel, and glass, seamlessly blending with the natural surroundings. Large panoramic windows offer breathtaking views of the surrounding mountain landscape. A spacious terrace extends along the house, adorned with stylish seating for residents to relish the majestic scenery. Inside, open floor plans and modern furnishings create a bright and airy ambiance. This contemporary mountain residence harmoniously combines luxury with the beauty of nature.
1 of 2
Visualize a modern house elegantly perched on a mountainside. The architecture features clean lines, extensive glass surfaces, and a minimalist design. The facade incorporates contemporary materials such as concrete, steel, and glass, seamlessly blending with the natural surroundings. Large panoramic windows offer breathtaking views of the surrounding mountain landscape. A spacious terrace extends along the house, adorned with stylish seating for residents to relish the majestic scenery. Inside, open floor plans and modern furnishings create a bright and airy ambiance. This contemporary mountain residence harmoniously combines luxury with the beauty of nature.
1 of 2
The 120-foot-long hall features windows at either end that produce a telescope effect, framing views of the dense forest at one end and the expansive meadow at the other. These windows serve a dual purpose, framing the picturesque landscape and also connecting the interior with the interspersed gardens that weave between the rooms. Additionally, they physically open up, establishing a tangible link between the living spaces and the natural surroundings via steps leading down to the landscape. On the uphill side, simple clerestories connect with the treetops and offer views of the sunset over the ridge. Inside, the folds of the roof guide the layout and details of each room. The ceilings are kept simple, without any lights or disruptions. Instead, lighting comes through slots along the ceiling edge and from quasi-furniture objects that add texture throughout the home. Locally sourced soapstone influences various stone elements, like hearths and wood storage, while bamboo covers the expansive floor.
1 of 2
The 120-foot-long hall features windows at either end that produce a telescope effect, framing views of the dense forest at one end and the expansive meadow at the other. These windows serve a dual purpose, framing the picturesque landscape and also connecting the interior with the interspersed gardens that weave between the rooms. Additionally, they physically open up, establishing a tangible link between the living spaces and the natural surroundings via steps leading down to the landscape. On the uphill side, simple clerestories connect with the treetops and offer views of the sunset over the ridge. Inside, the folds of the roof guide the layout and details of each room. The ceilings are kept simple, without any lights or disruptions. Instead, lighting comes through slots along the ceiling edge and from quasi-furniture objects that add texture throughout the home. Locally sourced soapstone influences various stone elements, like hearths and wood storage, while bamboo covers the expansive floor.
1 of 2
A modern house boldly perches on the sides of a canyon. The architecture features clean lines, expansive glass surfaces, and a minimalist design that cleverly integrates with the rugged canyon walls. The facade is constructed from materials like concrete, steel, and glass, harmonizing with the natural surroundings of the steep canyon. Floor-to-ceiling windows provide captivating views of the impressive canyon walls. A spacious terrace extends laterally from the house, creating a unique space to experience the dramatic beauty of the canyon landscape. Inside, an open floor plan and modern furnishings continue the luxurious living atmosphere, seamlessly blending with the spectacular canyon
1 of 2
4 floor modern and humble, minimalist house on a sloping land with very realistic image
1 of 2
Envision a modern house gracefully positioned on a mountainside, its architecture adorned with clean lines, extensive glass surfaces, and a minimalist design. As the sun begins its descent, the facade, constructed from contemporary materials like concrete, steel, and glass, seamlessly melds with the natural surroundings. Through large panoramic windows, residents are treated to a mesmerizing display of colors as the sun sets over the mountain landscape. A capacious terrace, featuring stylish seating, becomes an intimate vantage point for occupants to bask in the breathtaking hues of the sunset. Inside, open floor plans and modern furnishings continue to create a luminous and inviting atmosphere, making this contemporary mountain retreat a serene haven in the fading light of the day.
1 of 2
a view of a fictional Vertical house inspired by Zaha hadid in the crevasse in a giant cliff. moody colors and cinematic view
1 of 2
a view of a fictional Vertical house inspired by Zaha hadid in the crevasse in a giant cliff. moody colors and cinematic view
1 of 2
a view of a fictional Vertical house inspired by Zaha hadid in the crevasse in a giant cliff. moody colors and cinematic view
1 of 2
a view of a fictional Vertical house inspired by Zaha hadid in the crevasse in a giant cliff. moody colors and cinematic view
1 of 2