Crisply Balanced – Walnut House by Walker Workshop
A blend of awe-inspiring surrounds and a bespoke architectural form sees Walnut House become a timeless example of elevated residential craft. Through an introspective approach, Walker Workshop holistically carries out both the design and build to interweave architectural and landscape elements as extensions of one another, so the home is in constant dialogue with nature.
Encased in an external palette of Danish brick, weathered steel and timber, Walnut House sits nestled and low along the boundary of the site, maximising functional space across one singular level. Each room uniquely interacts with the natural surrounds, framing outdoor views whilst enabling privacy. Built around a circular, central courtyard space, the home’s full-height, glazed walkway invites the internal spaces back to the outdoors, allowing for ease of movement and a blurring of thresholds. Resultingly, the abundance of natural light brought in from the courtyard softens the dwelling.
As both designer and builder, Walker Workshop ensured the resulting home, in all its elevated craft and detail, achieved a series of interconnected spaces. Once inside the bunker-like form, a glazed hallway meanders around an outdoor pool and spa area. As the rippling effect of the sun touches the surface of the water, this introduces a meditative calmness to surrounding spaces whilst animating the residence in the process. Running the length of the site is a defined bricked wall that extends both internally and externally as a textured surface that adds depth and tone, creatively delineating public and private realms.
The encasing external palette provides a welcome balance to the home’s inner tactility. Indoor-outdoor thresholds have been lessened to allow for connection between zones, which encourages the entirety of the site to be used. Accessed via the courtyard, the main suite captures a sense of intimacy – similar to the kitchen and living areas – that is enhanced by warm timber tones. Elevating everyday moments within, Walker Workshop creates opportunities for interaction with the dwelling and its surrounds through moments of transparency, which anchors the form in place.
As an homage to the landscape of Arcadia, California, Walnut House is crafted to capture a spirit of place through materiality, form and layout. By responding to the context of the home in such a considered manner, Walker Workshop ensures the form integrates seamlessly with the surrounds and achieves a sense of fluidity.
