a forest of columns suspends the kerplunk house over the californian desert, by i stiffen thee

design studio ‘i stiffen thee’, founded by neal lucas hitch‘s family and friends, has built the kerplunk house in ocotilo, california, as a bridge between found space and built space. looking to establish an architecture that not only resembles nature, but is nature, the house’s carefully designed structural precariousness lends itself to an innate primal comfort normally only found in nature. the multipurpose living and working space is the first piece of infrastructure in the desert propagation center, where, over time, flora will be planted and transplanted to cover its surroundings.

photos by breyden anderson

instead of starting off the design process by coming up with a typical plan of walls and columns, i stiffen thee conceived the house as a forest of columns, which were then locked into place by building walls, floors, and ceilings around them. the result is two cuboid, enclosed spaces suspended in midair, with windows and doors cut out around and in between the columns. stucco and exposed structural-wood details recall the traditional colonial spanish design of the area, while the inside of the building reflects the integrated exterior-to-interior relationship. the design aims at encouraging people to interact with the space primarily through exploration and adaptation. ‘with the kerplunk house, we have created a novel living experience that evokes a primal spatial sense; as if an entire forest was shrunk and stuffed inside an 8×8 square foot room,’ the architects explain, ‘the pavilion questions the very nature of architecture and suggests that perhaps the primary role of the architect is to create spaces for people to find.’

eastern view of house

aerial view of house

interior of large cube

interior shot with blooming prickly pear cactus

interior of small cube

exterior detail shot of exposed wooden trunks

interior detail shot

exterior detail shot

exterior view of house at night

interior sketch

section perspective

project info:

name: kerplunk house

architect: i stiffen thee

team: neal lucas hitch, neal v hitch, kristina fisher, martin hitch, paul herman, davis hitch

location: ocotillo, california

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