Cobham Forest

This hilly 52 acre site, an untimbered hardwood forest, was purchased by a couple as their home for retirement. They asked the architect to design a home and guest quarters to accommodate family and visitors. The large program was divided into smaller connected pavilions that were carefully sited along a ridge between the trees during an extensive field visit. A key alignment is the north-facing clerestory over the entry, which provides a light in the forest upon approach through the trees. The home is intended to provide views deep into the woods. The facade of brick and terra cotta will change with the seasons, capturing dappled shade in the summer and as a background for the silhouettes of the bare trees in the winter.