Perched on a knoll overlooking rolling vineyards, Blue Ridge House articulates the clients’ deep affection for the site. The knoll was previously a favorite camping spot for the clients and their four children; now, the design evokes the sensation of living within the trees.
Photo: Eric Petschek
Blue Ridge House
Delaplane, Virginia
A concrete plinth planted at the crest of the hill anchors the residence while pulling it upwards, into the surrounding canopy. The home unfolds and extends into the trees on steel-reinforced cantilevers. With its reddish patina, Blue Ridge House’s Corten steel siding reinforces the sense that the home has grown within the natural landscape.
The home’s main entry opens into the lower level, which is set into the hillside and houses the clients’ personal wine collection. The upper level’s cruciform layout features a generous kitchen at the center of the home, an intentional arrangement that allows the clients to host gatherings and share their passion for food and wine. An open living room, screen porch, primary suite, and children’s wing with small, efficient bedrooms and a den extend from this central hub.
While the form ensures each wing has unique prospect views of the 92-acre winery, it also enables the client to easily change the scale of the home based on the ebb and flow of family life. A 20-foot kinetic steel door between the great room and screen porch expands the main living area into the outdoor environment. Likewise, a 12-foot-tall sliding barn door closes off the children’s wing when the children are away. Even the dining table was custom designed to convert from three-foot square, used for more intimate meals, to a three-foot by 9-foot rectangle that can host large family gatherings.
A pool and guest house set below the residence offer an informal counterpoint to the home, sited to provide visibility from the residence without sacrificing the sightlines of the winery. Like the main residence, the guest house is flexible to accommodate a range of uses, from yoga studio to office to extra sleeping space. A mobile cabinet with integrated Murphy beds on either side allows the clients to further divide the space into two functional bedroom suites.
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