FOREST HOUSE

The traditional method of building in difficult terrain involves putting in a solid—and massive-looking—foundation, usually of stone or concrete. That technique usually proves effective from an engineering point of view, but in some locations, it draws too much attention to the house and to the imposing, sometimes bulky-looking base. What's often better is to use a lighter style of construction that will allow the house to appear as if its floating above its site. Peter Bohlin did that with the Forest house, which sits astride a hillside in West Cornwall, Connecticut. Concrete piers support the house while conveying the illusion of near-weightlessness. The industrial sash of the windows— simple and straightforward—brings the feeling of the woods inside. The way the exterior walls are pared away for a huge window assembly gives the house an abstract character that reduces the houses visual intrusion on nature. The intense color of the sash and of a few other elements provides just enough liveliness to make it clear that the house is not trying entirely to camouflage its presence. The drooping lamp over the beginning of the entrance ramp brings to mind a bright flower blooming in the moistness of the forest.

The house touches the land as little as possible, a good tactic when the objective is to make the landscape seem unconquered and pristine. The ultra-simple decks and entrance walkway, and the reduction of the roof to nothing more than a sharp angle, complete the remarkable effect.