The plan is built on a nine-square grid with the central square made void to form a glazed interior courtyard. The lower floor is stepped, following the natural grade of the terrain. And as a result each space has an easy and direct relationship with the surrounding landscape. The terraces to the north and south are natural extensions of the house towards the garden.

From both inside and out, the roof is perceived as a continuous, modulated surface whose inclination follows that of the land. Upon a simple inclined plane a rotated square was inscribed, marking lines about which the roof was then folded. The resultant prismatic geometry is clear and direct. The house appears compact from the outside, yet spacious and diaphanous from within, with interior views that pass through the courtyard.

The volume of the house cantilevers over its foundations towards the east, forming a large porch among the pines. The cantilever embodies the idea of the house: that while it is well nested in the landscape it is also oriented towards the monastery. The lightness that is provided by the cantilever helps emphasise the aspiration that characterizes this relationship.

Completed January 2008