The Further Lane House is a second home for a family who enjoys entertaining and hosting guests. Its program is divided into five separate yet connected elements, where three stone-clad structures and an outdoor pavilion support a glass box at the center. The elements’ orientation allows for multiple ways of enjoying the residence: they may be independently occupied, or, as on busy weekends, every part of the home and landscape buzzes with activity.
Upon entering the gate, visitors encounter a quiet structure surrounded by a landscape of many textures and colors. The house is shaped around views. Access to natural light and ventilation is prioritized. On the ground level, circulation is sheltered and outdoors. In favorable weather, the heating and air conditioning systems can be turned off and the floor-to-ceiling glass doors unlocked, allowing the house to operate like an open pavilion.
Various materials are used throughout, further blurring the boundary between in and outside. Long, slender Valmalenco stone bars clad the exterior volumes and also appear indoors, signifying structural walls. Mahogany window frames bring warmth to otherwise monumental stone walls. Massive, well-insulated wall systems, along with geothermal and green roofs, are employed to help keep maintenance costs down.
The smallest structure, located at the house’s northern corner, is a single-car garage with storage and studio space. The adjacent volume serves as a guest house, where an entry lit with an acid-etched glass-enclosed courtyard holds an outdoor shower. On either side of the plaza is a bedroom with a private bath and floor-to-ceiling windows that offer views and access to the outdoors.
The largest of the three structures contains childrens’ bedrooms and the family’s dining, living, and kitchen spaces. These rooms are enclosed by a glass window on two sides that opens up to an outdoor pavilion and swimming pool. Nearby, an open-air dining and sitting area, complete with a fireplace, is hidden by a pair of concrete walls and sheltered by a canopy.
Above the stone structures floats the fifth and most prominent element of the house: the glass-enclosed master suite, which includes a library and office. A custom second-floor curtain wall is designed with windows and screens that can pivot or slide. The bedroom opens up onto a terrace and green roof beyond. In the morning, the exterior glass is transparent and figures moving within are visible. In the evening, the glass appears a calm, reflective blue—the same color as the pool below. As the sun sets, moving clouds and shimmering leaves dance across the glass.