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West of Lawrence, Kansas
Rockhill and Associates
A couple, one of whom is an architect, with leanings towards
modern design decided to build a house in Kansas. This would
not seem to be too much of an issue until you realize that
the Newtons wanted to build their home in a rural part of
Kansas where modern architecture does not abound and access
to the needed materials and builders is not easily accessible.
Barry Newton turned to his colleague Dan Rockhill of Rockhill
and Associates based in Lecompton, Kans. As Rockhill quickly
points out, "Newton is an architect fully capable of
designing his own home; however, we’re a one-stop shop
for design and construction and here in the Heartland for
modern architecture, that’s a necessity."
During the design and build stages, Rockhill was resolute
with his client and fellow architect that he would have control
of the design. "I know that sounds firm," explains
Rockhill, "but with our design-build approach I know
what’s possible to achieve." Keeping with local
imagery, Rockhill designed the house to fit in with the vernacular
buildings in the region. "Highly engineered buildings
by big companies are all around this area," says the
architect, "hence the form that resembles neighboring
oil and gas pumping stations." The reddish tint of the
fiber cement board exterior also evokes the color of the local
silos.
There was one request from the client that did make it past
Rockhill. In the placement of the house, Newton chose a site
that made the house appear to naturally rise out of the prairie.
Amid the field of grass, the barrel-vaulted structure runs
along the horizon and appears further anchored to the horizon
by a brise-soleil that runs the entire length of the house.
After calculating angles of the sun, Rockhill placed the continuous
louvers so that they would provide shading for the residence
especially during the harsh summer months. Taking the extreme
cold of the winter months into consideration as well, the
house is constructed on a radiant heat slab.
A bay garage is sited on the southern end of the residence.
Entering the residence from there leads to three bedrooms.
As an empty-nest couple, the Newtons desired two extra bedrooms
for when the family visits. These spaces easily convert into
utilitarian spaces, such as office space or an exercise room.
A screened porch anchors the north end of the house. The three-bay
porch is lined with windows and allows distant views of the
surrounding prairie.
True to Rockhill’s motto, "nothing we don’t
make and nothing we can’t do," the Newton residence
was custom made within Rockhill’s studio. This includes
the trusses, windows, countertops, cabinetry, and the free-standing
bathtub. Unlike the exterior, created to blend into its surroundings,
the interior’s extensive use of glass and steel creates
a sharp contrast from the outdoors. The football trusses used
throughout the expanse of the interior highlights the curved
form of the house. The arc-shape is repeated in the prominent
frosted glass that divides the main bedroom from the rest
of the house. "The wall creates privacy but also maintains
an openness," describes Rockwell, "And when sunlight
comes through the windows of the main bedroom it illuminates
the entire glass wall."
By Randi Greenberg
Gross square
footage
2,640 sq. ft.
Total construction
cost
$307,000
View
complete specs
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