Architect Mike McCulloch said that his design for this house was an exercise in "house as a garden wall." Put another he wanted his design to work in complete harmony with the landscape design done by the late Bob Murase. The work of the two designers comes together seamlessly--one strengthening the other in a graceful blending of house and garden.  Recently, Michael Schultz has consulted on the landscape design and Fukuda Landscape has worked on adding a water feature and fine tuning of the existing garden. Ben Thomas Landscape has executed a major reworking of part of the site, adding a turn around, parking and access enhancements. 

As you approach and proceed along the entry to the house it seems that McCulloch meant the garden wall statement literally. The house only reveals itself in pieces. You get glimpses of bits of it as you move towards the entrance but always filtered through garden elements; trying to get a full on elevation view is an exercise in futility. The C shaped plan of the house has the main entrance at the back of the C with the hollow of the C occupied by garden. So when you arrive at the front door you have in a way already "entered" the house even as you are still outside in the garden. When you do step through the front door you are in an entrance gallery which further encourages the blurring of garden and house: the chinese green slate floor seems as much earth as floor and the roof over the gallery is translucent, made of Kalwall panels and filling the space with natural daylight-- its own sky.

Natural daylight is a theme carried throughout the house. The architect used the Kalwall in the many clerestory windows and also as the ceiling/roof in the kitchen area, the guest bath and the roof over the porch that wraps around the den. The light through the material is very even and diffuse making for a very calming ambience throughout the house.

Features

• 1/2 acre site consists of two separate lots close to downtown
• architectural design: Michael McColluch
• landscape design (original): Bob Murase
• landscape design consultation: Michael Shultz
• landscape features: Fukuda Landscape
• large car turn around with parking for many cars
• wonderful house for entertaining
• Kalwall clerestorey windows and roof elements for calming natural light
• Chinese slate tile floor in entry and kitchen
• cherry hardwood floors
• 2 wood burning fireplaces: living room has large hearth of Rumsford design and family area has high efficiency swiss desgin steel insert which can be fully opened for fire viewing
• shoji and rama screens of traditional Japanese carpentry by Ed Gordon
• standing metal seam roof
• master on main with large walk in closet
• marble tile floor in master bath with floor heat
• 2 bedrooms on lower level have own walk out patios and separate bath
• Kitchen:
• built in Sub-Zero refrigerator/freezer
• 4 burner Wolf gas range with integral gas grill
• commercial grade stainless hood and ducting eliminates cooking odors and features built in heat lamps
• generous pull out equipment storage areas
• 2 sink areas for efficient prep work
• Fisher-Paykel two drawer energy efficient dishwasher
• 2 built-in ovens including Dacor electric convection oven
• concealed micro-wave oven

Schools

Ainsworth
West Sylvan
Lincoln