Bentley House at River Ridge is sited at the crest of a rise, twenty-two feet above water level, looking east across the expansive, mercurial Neuse River. The Neuse, as it merges into the Pamlico Sound, is the widest river in the continental United States. To maximize the use of site amenities the house is organized linearly north-to-south providing every room a river view and framing outdoor activity areas. The main interior spaces (kitchen-dining-living) are open to one another, unified by a thick “hearth” wall, backdrop to a traditional woodstove. The room’s end features maximum glazing to a southern exposure (operable double-hung windows). Approaching the house from the west, a penetration through it (like an old southern “dogtrot”) reveals the river and forms the main entry to the house (from the north) and the studio (from the south). The upper floor bridges over the opening and houses a window-seated reading room. The dogtrot is cut angularly to accord with equinox and solstice phenomenon, aligning at sunrise, mid-day and sunset at those significant moments of the yearly cycle. The tapered opening repeats itself at the lower, masonry base establishing a powerful connection to the earth…a Jeffersonian-like “porticrypticus”. Future plans include incorporating photovoltaic solar collection and on-site electricity-generating wind turbines.
To think of building as an expression of our relationship to nature is to tap back into our mythic memory.
John Lucas Architect