Paperwork Clockwise from top
Private areas are contained within the two brick trapezoids and are separated from the primary living area by a folded wooden structure. Connected by a series of rods, windows on the southeast facade can be opened as independent groups to regulate the airflow and cross-breezes.
Mathematical Mind
34 Texas Architect
9/10 2015
synchronize these conflicting systems becomes a catalyst for producing moments of curiosity and richness within the project. Sixton House is a response to the emergence of digital tools and algorithms that have superseded the use of historically established proportional systems in contemporary architecture. Houser appreciates the power of the new tools, but also views older approaches as valuable. “Digital systems provide a richness to architectural practice,” he notes, “[but] it is imperative that we not forget the vast potential of established proportional systems.”
RENDERINGS AND DRAWING COURTESY JOHN HOUSER.
With plans for the 1,800-sf Sixton House, designer John Houser establishes a radically fresh approach to residential design at the same time that he returns to architecture’s mathematical roots. He rigorously applies the study of a particular set of proportions to the built environment. The specific subject of Houser’s investigation is the √3 rectangle. As he notes in his description of the house, “When a √3 rectangle is equally divided into three parts along its longest length, the resulting rectangles
retain the √3 proportion. This proportion of 1:1.732 is evident throughout the Sixton House from the plan and elevations to the doors, windows, and shingles.” The structure evokes a dramatic planar resonance both inside and out. The mathematical relationships, together with the low-key material composition, create a space that is surprising and calming. This implementation of the √3 system is uniquely challenging when dealing with other proportional systems introduced by ergonomics or typical building conditions. The design innovation necessary to mediate and