How were the three old buildings replaced in the Stepping Stone House project?
What was the main goal of the Stepping Stone House design? How did they achieve it?
Can you describe the features of the smaller of the two new buildings in Stepping Stone House?
What is the main purpose of the larger building in Stepping Stone House? How is it connected to the existing house?
How can the two buildings in Stepping Stone House be opened up to each other?
Why are the stilts important in this project? How do they contribute to the overall design?
What is the role of the roof and its overhanging eaves in the Stepping Stone House design?
How does the landscape design by the architect fit into the concept of Stepping Stone House?
Can you explain why the prefabricated construction method used in this project was beneficial?
How did the architects achieve efficiency and attention to detail in the construction of Stepping Stone House?
How does the architecture and landscape merge in Stepping Stone House to create a playful and engaging place?
Why was the use of natural materials and organic structures significant in the Stepping Stone House design?
2. Fill in the gaps
Transcript
Let‘s start with Stepping Stone House by Hamish Lyons in the UK.
Three disconnected, under-used and flood-prone outbuildings were replaced with two new buildings that provided additional living accommodation for the existing house.
The design seeks to engage the family with the calming effects of nature.
This is achieved through the abundant use of daylight, an organic structure, natural materials and a new landscape design.
The smaller of the two new buildings is a self-contained guest house with a kitchen, living space, utility corridor, bathroom and bed deck.
The larger building is the family’s main living space - it also has a bed deck and bathroom.
It is connected to the existing house via a structural glass bridge.
Both buildings can be “opened” up to each other as the glass at raised ground floor level is designed as sliding, opening, door panels.
The stilts elevate the buildings above the lake, lifting them clear of flood waters and allowing flush access to the ground floor of the existing house.
They also make it possible to swim under the buildings.
A key feature of the design is the roof and its 1.5m overhanging eaves which serve to shade the interiors in summer and also provide a sheltered walkway that merges inside and out.
The minimal steel structure was designed to give the impression of the building floating over water.
Light, bouncing off the water, highlights the building’s undercroft, where the black steel ribs are in contrast to the white corrugated floor deck.
Tapered steel fins cantilever out from the Glulam structure at clerestory level to support the overhanging eaves and echo the steel floor supports around the perimeter of the buildings.
The architect’s landscape design is integral to the concept of engaging the family with their surroundings and includes the swimming lake as well a circular route around the buildings.
From the front parking area, a path snakes through a sheltered garden of large tree ferns eventually leading out onto stepping stones that cross the lake.
The stones link to an elevated walkway and bridge which connects the two buildings.
On the south side a diving platform extends out and provides a central spot from which to experience the surroundings.
A deck leads to further steps down to a brick terrace.
The route then dips below the glass link ending up back at the parking bay.
The resulting effect is that the architecture and landscape merge with each other to create a playful and engaging place that is both calming and spiritual.
Much of the building was prefabricated which allowed for a brief construction period on site and minimized waste.
The architects developed the design as a modular building system, based on a repeated section which allowed for a greater level of efficiency and refinement in the details.