House Skuru
The clear volume of the house gains a richness of expression through the development of a tectonic order of discreet buildings parts. These tectonics, however, are entirely rhetorical as they lie in the elaboration of reliefs in the plaster surface, and the actual construction is made of standard expanded clay masonry blocks. In the interior the rhetoric is monolithic rather than tectonic, and this too lies in the surface treatment of the rendered walls and ceiling and the polished concrete floor. The main part of the house consists of a room that serves two functions, exercise and cooking, and if so needed the whole room can be used for either activity. This room opens to the terrace through the arcade, which is a transitional space open to the elements. The repetition of pillars and the juxtaposition of building elements create a minimalistic complexity. The monumental expression creates a specific yet unprogrammed openness for an unconventional dwelling.
