Richard Meier's Douglas House
1- Where?
This Project, just as many other Richard Meier projects, is built within a heavily contrasting context of nature, hovering over the shores of lake Michigan. The white reinforced concrete and glass are easily distinguishable from it’s exuberant background heavy in shades of green which invokes a sense of being deep within a forest, away from all man made things, making the project all the more contrasting and also creating a sense of privacy for the entire property which is seldom achieved through other methods. This natural environment plays a key role to the house, as it provides astounding views of lake Michigan and the vegetation surrounding it from the more public sectors making up the house.
Concerning the atmosphere of the house it is of great interest the clear separation of public and private spaces in the house. The living room receives a great amount of sunlight creating a very contemplative atmosphere, which is the result of the conscious arrangement of furniture and other elements in the direction of the natural beauties surrounding the house.
As previously mentioned, the house is built within a context of nature and relies heavily on the contrast it’s white reinforced concrete walls will provide against the house’s natural background with changing colors around the season. It is built with the intention to be as close to it’s natural environment as possible, with as few trees as possible removed to make way for the construction of the house, it is lodged overlooking lake Michigan. So steep is the fall of the land from the road down to the water that the house appears to have been notched into the site (Meier & Partners. Online.).
The house has a very simple intention in respect to type, to be a comfortable place to live, separating successfully the public and private areas of the house, exposing the living room and other public spaces to astonishing natural views we can appreciate from the inside the house thanks to the
This Project, just as many other Richard Meier projects, is built within a heavily contrasting context of nature, hovering over the shores of lake Michigan. The white reinforced concrete and glass are easily distinguishable from it’s exuberant background heavy in shades of green which invokes a sense of being deep within a forest, away from all man made things, making the project all the more contrasting and also creating a sense of privacy for the entire property which is seldom achieved through other methods. This natural environment plays a key role to the house, as it provides astounding views of lake Michigan and the vegetation surrounding it from the more public sectors making up the house.
Concerning the atmosphere of the house it is of great interest the clear separation of public and private spaces in the house. The living room receives a great amount of sunlight creating a very contemplative atmosphere, which is the result of the conscious arrangement of furniture and other elements in the direction of the natural beauties surrounding the house.
As previously mentioned, the house is built within a context of nature and relies heavily on the contrast it’s white reinforced concrete walls will provide against the house’s natural background with changing colors around the season. It is built with the intention to be as close to it’s natural environment as possible, with as few trees as possible removed to make way for the construction of the house, it is lodged overlooking lake Michigan. So steep is the fall of the land from the road down to the water that the house appears to have been notched into the site (Meier & Partners. Online.).
The house has a very simple intention in respect to type, to be a comfortable place to live, separating successfully the public and private areas of the house, exposing the living room and other public spaces to astonishing natural views we can appreciate from the inside the house thanks to the
Bibliography: Meier, Richard /preface by Richard Meier ; essays by Paul Goldberger and Joseph Giovannini ; afterword by Joseph Rykwert.. Richard Meier : Houses and Apartments. New York, NY: Rizzoli International Publications., 2007 Richard Meier architect : 1992-1999 / Richard Meier / essays by Kenneth Frampton, New York: Rizzoli, 1999 Douglas house, Harbor Springs, Michigan, design: 1971; completion: 1973; architects: Richard Meier and Associates [ 4 ]. Context. The task of the architectural project is to reveal, through the transformation of form, the essence of the surrounding context. V. Gregott, 1982 introducing to French edition of Gregotti 1966, 12 (Forty, 132) [ 5 ]