Brillhart House

Designing a single-family house, Brillhart Architecture explored a combination of wood finishes, and made continued investigations into construction assemblies and innovations.

The design for the Brillhart House relies on a back-to-the-basics approach – specifically studying old architectural models that care about good form but are also good for something. Each design decision was organized around four central questions that challenge the culture for building big: what is necessary; how can we minimize our impact on the earth; how do we respect the context of the neighborhood; and what can we really build?

Having studied the Tropical Modern models and the typology of the glass pavilion – and then integrating those ideas with new technologies – Brillhart Architecture was able to achieve a design that was not only livable but also one that had an immediate relationship with the surrounding landscape. Because of that, the selection of flora became as important to the architectural experience as the structure itself. The integration of low-tech sustainability measures that were reliant on natural systems received great attention as well.

In a part of the country where concrete is the primary construction material, architects opted for a more sustainable steel and glass superstructure, explored a combination of wood finishes, and made continued investigations into construction assemblies and innovations.

The exterior (siding, fascia and columns) is clad in Ipe. This dense hardwood works best in the tropical climates where termites and heavy rains dissuade most builders from using wood at all. The boards were ship-lapped, giving the exterior a more modern look than the board-and-batten style cladding. The front and back steps were also made of 3” x 8’ Ipe boards. The thickness provides tremendous strength, prevents sagging, and enhances the aesthetic.

Sixteen shuttered doors have been built along the outer edge of the front porch for added privacy and protection against the elements. The shutters make the space much cooler while also allowing for cross breezes when the sliding glass doors are open behind. Western red cedar has been used – as the species is also weather resistant, but much more lightweight and easier to work with than Ipe. In this case, no stain was used. The intent is to allow the Ipe and the Cedar to age into a similar silvery gray color over time. At night, the shutters are aglow from behind, creating the sense of a magical Japanese tea house.

To seamlessly merge the indoors with the outdoors, the interior flooring and outdoor decking have been matched as much as possible. The interior floors are natural white oak floors, purchased directly from Tidewater Lumber, a saw mill in South Carolina. For consistency, Brillhart Architects needed a light decking material, and opted for a select grade of cypress. Both the interior and exterior woods were given the same color stain.

Brillhart Architecture, Brillhart House, Miami, 2014

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Brillhart Architecture, Brillhart House, plan

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Brillhart Architecture, Brillhart House, axonometric

Brillhart House, Miami
Architects: Brillhart Architecture (Jacob and Melissa Brillhart)
Program: single-family house
General Contractors: Jacob and Melissa Brillhart
Size: 140 sqm
Completion: 2014

Brillhart House

Designing a single-family house, Brillhart Architecture explored a combination of wood finishes, and made continued investigations into construction assemblies and innovations.

Print

01.12.16_Brillhart house axon

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