tonic design cubed volume for remote rank residence

tonic design cubed volume for remote rank residence
all images courtesy of tonic design

located on the edge of a forest and deeply rooted into the property, the ‘rank residence’ by american firm tonic design offers a high level of privacy within its vertical structure. designed for recording artist michael rank, the black and white house in north carolina is reminiscent of piano keys with narrow windows placed to suggest notes on the staffs of sheet music. the 3200-square-foot cubic volume consists of four levels, with a 1100-square-foot four-car garage beneath to hold the owner’s ‘muscle’ cars. the main living space is expressed on the exterior by painted concrete panels, while the upper two levels are clad in factory-finished, black standing-seam metal roofing material.

the interpretation of gothic style castles within the built form was a requirement of the brief, and can be seen in the vertical-shaped cut outs on the façade – suggestive of traditional ‘arrow loop’ windows that provided cover for archers when protecting a castle during battle. the interior features a tall, light filled living space with an open-plan kitchen and dining area immediately adjacent to it. a network of  black metal staircases and ramps with open-grated steel flooring leads to the bedrooms, library, and a recording studio. subtle flecks of blue and brown are visible in the dark grey bamboo flooring, offering a contrast to the surrounding white walls.  

the balcony off the main living space

interior landing

the network of ramps and staircases

the northwest landing

vertical seam metal on the upper levels

 
eastern elevation at night

concept diagram

site plan

exploded axonometric

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