Custom builder embraces “Organic Architecture” in his latest home…his own.
Organic architecture is a term Frank Lloyd Wright coined to describe buildings that blend with the surroundings as well as blur the distinction between indoors and outdoors. Anyone golfing the back nine at Hangman Valley will notice one house that seems to spring up from the natural terrain.
Local custom builder Dave Parsons is embracing green building materials and techniques in the home he recently finished building for himself and his wife Karen.
The couple found the site when Dave was building a Tuscan style home right next door. “I looked at that view, and the lay of the land and we knew this would be where we would build our next home,” Dave said.
The Parsons worked with Architect Matthew Collins from the firm of Nystrom, Olson and Collins. Dave said “Matthew was a great help in embracing our vision, and then creating a design to help take everything to the next level.”
“Considering how long we’ve been in the home building industry, we knew we needed to stay on the cutting edge” Karen added. “We used the latest in green technology and materials everywhere, insisting we could see either art or nature everywhere we looked.”
The ecologically friendly decisions started with the layout of the house. Four individual pods are connected to naturally flow with the grade of the land in order to avoid erosion.
The front door is unique because it is both glass and hidden. Once in the main room, you are struck by the inner stone walls reminiscent of Wright’s “Falling Water” home. Additionally, the entire back wall is comprised of glass doors that open up and lead you right onto the patio. A steel wall starts in the living room and leads through the glass wall onto the deck unifying the design. Another green decision was to use cement for the counter tops. It took great effort to make the cement fit with the sleek, euro design of the kitchen. For the Parsons, the extra time was worthwhile knowing that they used a renewable material without taking anything from the earth. Additionally, the overhangs are angled to capture the heat of the winter sun, as well as convert the summer sun into shade to help cool the house. The material mix of wood, steel, concrete, cork, stone, and glass in the home reflects the organic theme. No one wood is predominant. Karen said that they have been mixing wood t ypes for over fifteen years and they wanted their own home to reflect that.
After building homes for thirty years, Dave and Karen Parsons feel this home fits them perfectly. Karen summed up by saying “We’ve been accumulating ideas for this house as long as we’ve been in the business. It’s wonderful to see it come to life and even better to live in.”
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