“We decided to create three disparate dwellings with areas that connected and overlapped. Each dwelling had clear boundaries, but the home’s circulation wove through all of them, connecting them to each other.” As Faith explained: The family matriarch was on the ground floor. Above the ground floor were apartments for the brothers’ families. These two-level apartments share the second and third floors. The family matriarch insisted that her sons’ homes be connected to her apartment by stairs. O’Neill Rose Architects suggested excavating the land behind the home to bring light into her apartment, and she decreed that the backyard would become a terraced garden. She uses the space to grow food and medicinal herbs. The entire family could hang out in the ground-floor family room, next to the garden, and the stairs made it easy for the grandmother to watch her grandchildren on the second and third floors. The multigenerational home had a modest budget. To keep costs down, the architects repurposed materials when possible. For example, leftovers from engineered wood beams were sliced in half diagonally to make treads. The treads were inserted onto pins attached to steel stringers. A semi-opaque white screen separated the stair from a seating area; it was built from polycarbonate panels held in place with a single peg. Aging in Place The next project Faith presented was built for the housingrelated needs of older adults. The average age of the U.S. population is increasing because more and more of its citizens are retirement age or older, even after the pandemic. As a result, O’Neill Rose Architects has been looking at the needs of older adults. Faith said, “Studies have shown that there are many benefits to aging in place, particularly when it comes to mental health. In turn, [many design elements] lend themselves to creating spaces that support positive aging in place.” She also noted that physical activity in green spaces improves mood and cognitive function and decreases depression and stress. The Undermountain House project was designed for growing old gracefully. The clients loved nature, and they wanted to continue experiencing it as they aged and became less active. The home is set like a stitch in the land. It was built on a single level and sited to “experience the full motion and beauty of the land” from different heights, said Faith. Although the home is immobile, the landscape rolls around and underneath the home to create a sense of motion. The sun moves through the space throughout the day. Residents can see the orchard, the pond and the woods through large windows. Small windows frame views of the rain garden, the woodpile and meadow flowers. (The architects included a low, tiny window for the family dog to see the rain garden. The rain garden has boulders and an outdoor staircase on one side.) Windows at one end of the home focus on the tree trunks. Windows on the other end show swaying treetops and sky. There is also a screened-in porch. In addition to the dog’s rain-garden window, the lower level has en suite bedrooms for the client’s children. The lower level will be the caretaker suite later on. The surrounding area has many agricultural buildings to which the home responds. It has a simple barn-like shape. The stone — continued from page 33 34 AIA IDAHO ARCHITECTURE | 2022-23 | aiaidaho.com
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