harmon residence...
(view diagram)

location: Raleigh, North Carolina
completion date: 1994
project team:
Frank Harmon
Quan Banh
landscape architect:
Judy Harmon, ASLA

problem statement

Our goal was to design a modern, compact house and garden with as much sunlight, view, and privacy as possible within a busy, university neighborhood.  We were also determined to preserve four large oaks and two large mulberry trees along the perimeter of the one-third-acre corner lot.

our design response

To give the house a sense of both strength and lightness, we used steel for the structure.  The house is supported by 14 concrete piers to protect tree roots that grow beneath the house.  To accommodate the need for privacy, we surrounded the lot with walls and fences which, ultimately, would be covered in vines and would result in a secluded garden within the walls.  We positioned the house along the southern side of the garden beneath three of the oak trees.  This gave us a sunny, 200-foot-long garden space on the north side.  A swimming pool was built on the east side of the house.  Outer walls extend the living room into the garden.  Large windows, doors, and a balcony open the interior to the exterior, effectively blurring the line between indoors and out.  The colors of the house are cheerful and friendly and complement zinnias, yuccas, and palm trees growing in the garden.