‘The design by Pugh Scarpa architects of the Vail House was generated by the integration of two disparate forces: the mundane requirements of the regulations imposed by zoning codes, economic constraints and the technical challenge of building on a steep hillside, and on the other hand the careful attention to the very specific condition of the site itself and to its surroundings. This made the project a unique expression of the generic and the specific.

As opposed to a classically Modern approach, where the site conditions and the landscape are perceived as a mere backdrop for the building and remain untouched, this project is in large part directly related to the topography and engages with the landscape, diving into the hill at points and breaking away from it at others. Consequently, the building becomes an abstracted, faceted reading of the landscape that contains it.

Although the building appears to be a direct response to the topography, much of its shape actually derives from a translation of the complex setback and stepback requirements of the hillside ordinances as they relate to this site. The zoning codes require a lower building height towards the street and permitted a taller structure further up the hill. By that means, it was possible to build relatively close to the street and establish a relationship to the smaller scale in the surroundings, while being able to increase the height further back in the lot and thus taking advantage of the spectacular views.

A topography sculpted of folded, skewed metal planes, the Vail Grant House seems to enter into a love affair with its hillside site, blurring the boundaries between the natural and the artificial.

The building volume is created by a simple extrusion of a square, a neutral elongated twisted box that is projected into the site and sculpted along its contours. The folded roof is skewed where to allow directed views or openings. The building’s movement on the site describes a spiral that begins at a lower point closest to the street, travels up the hill, and then turns back towards the street and the lake, overlooking itself and creating an enclosed court in the center.

Structural Concrete Insulated Panels (SCIP) made by Green Sandwich Technologies were chosen for their structural and insulating properties, as well as sustainability: they are made from 100% recycled and post consumer foam and have a 50% fly-ash content in the concrete. The design employs comprehensive passive solar design strategies, as well as solar panels and geothermal cooling: improving thermal comfort, daylighting, and natural ventilation. By responding to the visceral aspects of the site, both physical and regulatory, an uniquely sustainable and striking design was achieved.’

More pictures: www.pugh-scarpa.com.