Berkshire Mountain House
Berkshire Mountain House
Alford, MA
Nestled into the tree line at the top of a ridge, the house unfolds to take advantage of sweeping panoramic views. Specific architectural gestures frame the client’s favorite vistas and wrap the house to form an intimate courtyard requested by the client for dining and gardening.
The building’s footprint is conceived as a movement through the Fibonacci spiral, which also dictates structure’s folded roof. The resulting plan allows the occupants and program to flow gracefully through the rooms, spiraling up to the highest point, a lookout tower.
The program considers the qualities of the views throughout the day and seasons, and proposes optimal arrangements for different experiences, from breakfast, to midday recreation, to sleeping.
The architectural vocabulary and the local materials, such as granite from a nearby quarry, recall the traditional farm houses and utilitarian buildings of western Massachusetts. Selected in a consistent palette, the varied materials play with textures and striations, and will age differently over time to create a dialogue with the natural landscape.
