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Edgeland House by Texas-based Bercy Chen Studio is a modern re-interpretation of the Native American Pit House. Similar to a Pit House, the Edgeland House is partly sunken in the earth and takes advantage of the earth’s mass to maintain thermal comfort throughout the year. The Edgeland House’s relationship to the landscape involves an insulative green roof and a 7-foot excavation – gaining benefits from the earth’s mass to help it stay cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.
From the architects, “Edgeland House is about healing the land and ameliorating the scars of the site’s industrial past. The project raises awareness about a diminishing natural landscape and its finite resources by creating a balance between the surrounding industrial zone and the natural river residing on the opposite side of the site.
Both visually and functionally, Edgeland House touches on architecture as site-specific installation art and as an extension of the landscape. The program is broken up into two separate pavilions, for the living and sleeping quarters, and requires direct contact with the outside elements to pass from one to the other. This project sets new standards for sustainability while providing great aesthetic qualities through its small footprint and integrated mechanical features. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center collaborated to reintroduce over 40 native species of plants and wildflowers to the Edgeland House green roof and site, serving to help protect the local ecosystem.”
Image Courtesy: Bercy Chen Studio
