Jan 2nd, 2017: The Hilltop House

The name led me to believe it would be on top of at least a minor mountain.

The Hilltop House, one of the Morgan’s greatest designs, epitomizes his intention to build with the earth, not on it, the essential
attribute of his earth architecture. The site is a hill located in central Florida, 2000 feet in diameter, rising 70 feet, the top of
which the clients chose as their favorite picnic spot before the house was built.

When first seen from a great distance, the house strikes one as being at once natural and artificial, archaic and modern.
Inspired by prehistoric earth architecture, this house provides its occupants both modern spatial freedoms and an intensely
spiritual connection to earth.

I like it, but would prefer it on a bigger hill.
link

I had the IOTD for the 1st and 2nd prepared ahead of time because my party didn't beak up until 10:30 AM and resumed at 6 PM.
Burned a lot of incense in my 3-foot burner and everyone was impressed.

Quote:
The name led me to believe it would be on top of at least a minor mountain.

Since the highest peak in Florida is a whopping 312 feet above sea level, I do believe that means that in Florida this house IS a minor mountain. If ocean levels keep rising this thing could be an island getaway eventually...

You want better elevation, come check out where I live. I just found a list of over 80 named peaks in my home county, all of which appear to be 5,000-9,000 feet (a few sneak a couple hundred feet past the 9K mark, but I see no 10Ks on the list).

Just dress warm. It's a whopping 6 degrees F. out there this morning before the windchill...

It's a good house for hermits. Looks like a zombie apocalypse bunker. Not a neighborhood house at all. Anti social. Plus it's a long way to take the garbage cans to the curb.

Snakeadelic;978244 wrote:

You want better elevation, come check out where I live. I just found a list of over 80 named peaks in my home county, all of which appear to be 5,000-9,000 feet (a few sneak a couple hundred feet past the 9K mark, but I see no 10Ks on the list).

Just dress warm. It's a whopping 6 degrees F. out there this morning before the windchill...

Not a major mountain, a thousand feet with a commanding view would suffice.

glatt;978245 wrote:

It's a good house for hermits. Looks like a zombie apocalypse bunker. Not a neighborhood house at all. Anti social. Plus it's a long way to take the garbage cans to the curb.

No, not at "neighborhood house", I don't want to live in a neighborhood. Privacy doesn't equate with anti social. Don't have to be a hermit, but no neighbors to wag about the size of my harem is a plus. Garbage cans don't go to the curb, everything goes into the nuclear incinerator to foil the NSA, then the only threat is Bond, James Bond. ;)

xoxoxoBruce;978271 wrote:

...then the only threat is Bond, James Bond. ;)

...and earthquakes.

Where we are in Washington state, even if the sea level rose ~200 feet,
people could put in their kayaks and paddle to Seattle. :right:

It reminds me of Outpost 1-A.

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Gravdigr;978289 wrote:

...and earthquakes.

I'm told that earth-sheltered houses ride out earthquakes very well, since they are within the ground rather than on top of it.

Wow, long time no see Alluvial, welcome back!

Some wineries have their chai in earthen structures like that.

Every time I see this thread I think it's about The Hill House (http://www.nts.org.uk/Property/Mobile/The-Hill-House/pictures).

Sent by thought transference

Took me a while, but I found it.

They stopped using the parking garage a decade ago and put a fence around the house. I guess they would park under the trees and walk up to the house. It's off in a field. No neighbors.

Here it is in 2009
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The following year, the owners built a second house right next to the hilltop house, and over a couple of years, they put in a new driveway, a bunch of landscaping, and pushed the fence out around both buildings.
This is 2013
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I guess the Hilltop house wasn't suited so much for living in.

That bottom picture would make a nice "Where is this?"