Tullis Residence

On a wooded acre of land located along the Boise River, this house is approached on a green driveway. Diagonally cut by a grid of 4” strips of grass, the driveway is both natural and artificial and merges into the landscape. A two-story, detached garage, with an open studio and a kitchenette and bath above, provides a tree-house view of the site and defines the front edge of the landscaped forecourt.

The two parallel wings of the house define both a forecourt and a rear-court overlooking the water’s edge. The west wing contains the kitchen and family room downstairs and a master bedroom, a master bath and guestroom above. The east wing holds the dining and living rooms downstairs and two bedrooms, a study and a bath above. The two wings are hinged together by a glass enclosed central stair made of a single ribbon of steel and birch wood. On the exterior the sand-colored stucco and clear cedar trim and siding become an integral part of the wooded site.