Entry number: UB07025
Project Name: House in 2 Parts
Location: Las Vegas NV
Building Type: Single Family Residential
Completion Date: Oct. 2007
Architect:  assemblageSTUDIO


Sustainability Description

Design Team:
Architect: assemblageSTUDIO
Civil Engineer: Summit Engineering
General Contractor: SMG
Structural Engineer: Mendenhall Smith

Narrative/Project Description:
Creation of a nontraditional house to provide for a return of children from college during summer and after graduation as well as providing for the potential of rental income at the owner's retirement.

The residence lies at the foothills of the Redrock Mountains within a master planned community in southwest Las Vegas. The design departs from the traditional U-shaped desert courtyard home by dividing the home into two actual components linked through a common elevated court. The design works with the existing contours to screen the view to the Las Vegas valley upon entry to the site, drawing you across a bridge over the site into the elevated court which serves as the exterior living room for the owners. Here the view to the strip is exposed. The split of the home in two parts, occurs to create a main house - living and master suite and a guest house - family, theatre and guest bedrooms. Using the stratification of the Redrocks, the materials emphasis a horizontally within the massing.

Sustainability Description:
The design reinforces living in the desert through an incorporation of indoor and outdoor living environments. Daylight is celebrated. Each space receives protected lighting and maximum viewing potential away from late afternoon heat gain. The materials have been selected from this area to create a connection to the native mountain base. A feeling of permanence is achieved. Additional materials are selected to create a high performance envelope with R49 insulation. Solar panels create the heating for the domestic water, radiant floor heating and pool water. Individual high SEER mechanical equipment is supplemented with cross ventilation and room fans. Interior material were selected for their low emission qualities.

Massing of the design created convection breeze patterns across the pool and into the two separate volumes. In the landscape, hardscape is minimized and made permeable.