details made distinctive
Emily Oster
Selecting an example for this section of the book is somewhat difficult as Eck states "the best way to think about details is to not think about them at all"(Eck, 181). Or rather the details cannot be separated from the whole design - the siting, floor plan and exterior. I would say it slightly differently in that details are not distinct thoughts or design intentions but rather natural outcomes or expressions of what the house is about or rather is. This is why beautiful details often go unnoticed - they just work so perfectly with their surroundings its as if they aren't even really there. So instead of featuring one house with its own particular set of details, I decided it would make more sense to feature one architect that approaches details in this way with artful results.
Rick Joy is the principal of Rick Joy Architects in Tucson, Arizona. The firm is small and works largely on private houses typically in desert regions. I wish I could say more about their work, however, they do not have a website and their is limited information available online. As such I will let the images largely speak for themselves.
Probably my favorite project of Joy's is Woodstock Farm in Vermont. The ideas and building form are simple and the details of the projects are really pretty amazing.
by Rick Joy Architects photo by Jean-Luc Laloux
by Rick Joy Architects photo by Jean-Luc Laloux
by Rick Joy Architects photo by Jean-Luc Laloux via Architectural Record
by Rick Joy Architects photo by Jean-Luc Laloux
by Rick Joy Architects photo by Jean-Luc Laloux
by Rick Joy Architects photo by Jean-Luc Laloux
by Rick Joy Architects photo by Jean-Luc Laloux
More indicative to the majority of Joy's work in the desert, the Ventana Canyon House was built in 2007 in the foothills of the Catalina Mountains overlooking the city of Tucson. The focus of the house is the view outward with no detail left unresolved.
This brings us to the end of the series. I hope you have enjoyed it!