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Sawmill Canyon Residence

A charming and technological retreat in the desert

Olson Kundig Architects

Sawmill Canyon Residence
By Caterina Testa -

Stretching between the Central and Antelope Valleys, the southern end of the Sierra Nevada lies to the northeast of Los Angeles, and has peaks rising to 1,200 m. Strong dry winds make for a harsh desert climate, with bitterly cold winters and scorching summers, when wildfires are an endemic risk. These extreme environmental and climatic conditions were the baseline for practice Olson Kundig’s design of this self-sufficient, low environmental-impact Sawmill Canyon vacation home. The input of clients Bruce and Carol was key. A gift for their children and future generations, the building was also intended as a way of remediating the effects on the landscape of years of mining, intensive farming and deforestation. Once long-term inhabitants of the nearby town of Tehachapi, the couple now saw a retreat as a means of allowing their grown children and their families to return and re-connect with their origins. The house both reflects and blends with its desert environment. Self-sufficient, hardy and resilient like the surrounding natural environment, it is also a comfortable haven. Drawing on the idea of a tent encampment around a central campfire, the plan comprises three wings that converge on a central living area with a fireplace. Three compact wings give each family group its own private sleeping area and services that “plug into” the main gathering space where the whole family can eat together, relax around the fire and enjoy the views onto the exterior. The glazed living zone is shielded from the sun by a large metal umbrella-like canopy. A fully operable, steel-framed window wall opens out onto the outside. In winter, the glazed façade maximizes solar gain; in summer, when open, it creates a continuum between interior and exterior, making the house an integral part of the landscape. Carefully chosen materials and a series of environmentally efficient technological solutions make the house almost completely self-sufficient. As well as...

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