Bir Residence

The street elevation sets the tone. Broad, gently sloping roof planes extend well past the walls beneath them, their pale soffits lit from within at dusk. Between roof and wall runs a continuous band of clerestory windows, and that slim gap does the essential work: it detaches the roof from the structure below, so each plane appears to hover above the house rather than rest on it. Horizontal courses of light stone clad the solid walls, set against dark bronze frames and a warm timber front door recessed deep beneath the central overhang. The palette is short and deliberate, and it lets the geometry lead.

At the rear, the architecture turns toward the water. Here the roof’s incline lifts, opening the main living volume to long views across the lake and drawing natural light deep into the plan. Full-height openings along the social wing extend the living and dining areas onto a covered terrace, where the overhangs give shade through the hottest part of the day.

The site’s natural fall toward the lake shaped the landscape as much as the house. Rather than flatten the grade, the design works with it. A landing zone sits between pool and waterfront, marking a clear threshold between the outdoor social spaces and the lake edge. From there, a sequence of tiered terraces, each held by a low concrete retaining wall and planted with lush groundcover, steps down to the water in measured stages. Every level offers a different vantage point, and together they give the family room to entertain, gather, or simply sit and watch the light change on the lake.

Inside, the language of the exterior carries through. Clerestory glazing brings daylight in beneath the ceiling line, and the main room’s volume gives the living, dining, and kitchen areas a generous, open scale. Wood-paneled walls and a boldly veined marble backsplash anchor the dining area, adding warmth and texture to an otherwise calm, pale interior.

The Bir Residence shows how much a single-story house can achieve through proportion, restraint, and a close, patient reading of its site.