The triple barn house, a perfect reflection of harmony between architecture and landscape. A seamless depiction of the getaway’s California sweeping Sonoma Valley influence on the design itself. Designed by Mork-Ulnes Architects– offices in San Francisco and Oslo- is a 1,750 square foot home along the steep hills of Sonoma Valley. Its conception was derived from a chef’s cooking philosophy and is the ideal place for the couple to step away from reality and use the space as a cooking laboratory. For this design, the architects used metal cladding on the exterior roof and surfaces similar to the iron-red eroded soil native to the site. These dominant materials are meant to accentuate the agricultural setting of the house and are meant to blend in together with the natural environment. Upon first sight, the guests are guided to the entrance of the house by a concrete pathway, where they will see the emerging façade leaning over the natural grass of the steep hill.
The concept was derived and approached by the international architect – Casper Mork-Ulnes – a Norwegian born architect which has lived in different places like Scotland and the United States through the course of his life. With his multi-cultural background, Casper has been able to bring a broad perspective to his life’s work. In his 20 years of experience in the field, Casper has been awarded numerous awards and titles, among some which include “California’s finest emerging talent” in 2015 and “the Most Noteworthy young Architects in Norway” by the Norwegian National Museum. His practice can be categorized as a thorough and concept driven design studio which tackles any given project with commitment to the economies and the means of the readily available materials.
With projects in different countries throughout the world, mork-ulnes architects is a great example of what world architecture can be. Giving the industry an opportunity to benefit from the minds of architects from all over the world and uniting professionals from different backgrounds and perspectives, bringing a variety of cross-cultural benefits to the areas where the projects are being made. Including the transfusion of different experiences between different settings and the beneficiaries of the projects. Breaking the barrier that architecture can only come from locals, and allowing the growth of a global design community. In this project Casper has respected the relationship between the surrounding environment and the design and materials, while bringing his own twist and previous experience to a passive design. More and more we will see international architectural firms develop projects in different cities around the United States and accordingly, we will see a more cross pollination of ideas between designers in North America and other continents in the world.
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