6. Graydon Knopf Residence
• The couple wanted a space to allow for entertaining
small gathering and offered way finding devices for
Philip who is visually impaired.
• The original floor plan features a bearing wall on the
first floor that must be supported every nine feet.
Original
Floor plan
7. Enclosed but Not Contained
• The phrase “Enclosed but not Contained”
stems from Mark and Philip’s interest in
Eastern culture and philosophy.
• This concept is borrowed from Japanese
garden design.
• The site plan reflects this with the meditation
garden hidden from the street by the hedge
in the front yard. The embracing line of the
patio in the back hugs the house but also
leaves the view open to the boundary of the
yard.
• The flowering trees and shrubs are arranged
to follow the patios embrace and provide
privacy but allowing the movement of air.
Site Plan/ Concept
8. Floor plans
• The first floor (below left) and second floor (below)
rendering studies assisted in material selection.
• Important considerations in the process include
adjacencies, flooring changes as way finding devices,
sound transmission, durability and aesthetic.
Development
9. Rendering studies of elevations of the staircase (above), den (above right),
and custom master bed assisted in finish and fixture design.
Sketches
10. • The final floor plans and reflected ceiling plans
show the final development of the “enclosed but
not contained” concept in the use of flooring and
the columns.
• The flooring changes offer a auditory way finding
device as well as carving out spaces visually and
without barriers.
• The pillars in the center of the upper and lower
levels (essential to the structural integrity of the
home) and ceiling height changes are utilized to
create a visual barrier but allow open communica-
tion and movement.
First Floor
Floor plan
Second Floor
