ARLECCHINO (Harlequin House)

Arlecchino (Harlequin House) takes its name from the elongated diamond-shaped geometry seen in both the plan of the house and the fracture pattern in the surrounding rocky ridgeline site for this home in the desert southwest. The large rocky boulders of the ridgeline appear to be buried near the peak of the hill but on the adjacent hill face the rocks jut off the the side of the hill into the view. I let this action and the elongated diamond shaped fracture pattern in the rock itself to inform the overall design. Taking inspiration directly from the site allows the structure to nestle into its site, to be a part of the site as though it had always been there. This fealty to site informed design is paramount to my mission as an architect and to the general principles of organic architecture. Organic architecture is not dictated by use of any particular geometry but rather any geometry that is appropriate to the site, the situation and the project’s program. So in the process of this design, the elongated patchwork outfit of a classic Italian harlequin revealed itself in the overall plan.