Lines to mimic nature: Keenan Towerhouse

Lines are the building blocks of architecture and design. Abstract methods use primary lines and shapes to develop an idea into a real building. This can be accomplished with the harmony of guiding these lines according to a source of inspiration. Nature--the environment--as a source to draw design intent has developed architecture that rests in symmetry with its surroundings.  

The Keenan Towerhouse in Arkansas highlights the repetition of vertical elements. Its location in an Ozark forest surrounds the site in vertical oak and maple trunks. The use of wood panels to decorate the exterior walls of the staircase generates a similar appearance. These staggered planks suggest the upward movement and growth that is elemental to the forest. The use of material reflects the overwhelming substance that surrounds the building. A mass timber structure was appropriate to compliment the landscape within. Steel framing encases the top of the house (Sutherland). This is done to similarly match the palette of the sky. This "house among the trees" is successful with its materials to match the vegetation and complement the environment (Marlon Blackwell Architects). 

As a visitor makes their way to the top, they are among the timber that is directing movement to the clouds. When the top room is reached, the eyes are then met with large windows that expand the horizon, above the tree line. The use of cardinal directions to extenuate a viewpoint was key in designing a vocal outlook for the client. Because of this, it was necessary for the house to stretch above the tree line. They mitigated any obstruction of view from below by the tree house by utilizing a material that would blend with the light hues of the sky during the day and darken with it at night (Sutherland). The steel casing accomplishes this appearance to better blend the top section of the house and maintain a similar proportion of visible wood with the nearby oak trees. 

Light is playful at night when it peeks through slim openings between the wood framing. Architects experiment with the appearance of nature during different times of the day; they suggest effects of not just sunlight, but also moonlight. The dim rays that escape the tower at night allude to the tranquil yet mysterious characteristics of night lighting. A reference to this light and how it interacts with trees is displayed through the Keenan Towerhouse. This is successfully done with warm, ambient lighting that is dispersed through the staircase. Most of this light is trapped. It is only the faint glow of this light that is apparent through the layers and cracks of the outside walls. 

Marlon Blackwell Architects. (n.d.). Keenan TowerHouse in Fayetteville Arkansas by Marlon Blackwell Architect. photograph, Fayetteville, AR.

A wanderer in the forest can glance among the trees, squint, and marvel at their mistake of a building as a cluster of trees. They can approach the tower, admire it, and ascend the staircase. The Keenan Towerhouse envelops them in a trunk of timber, smelling of grain knots. They are in the trees. 

Works Cited:

Marlon Blackwell architects " Keenan Towerhouse. Marlon Blackwell Architects. (2023, November 27). https://www.marlonblackwell.com/project/keenan-towerhouse/

Sutherland, C. A., Herman, G., Shannon, C., & Whayne, J. S. J. M. (2019, June 17). Keenan Towerhouse. SAH ARCHIPEDIA. https://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/AR-01-WA28