Strickland-Ferris House by Frank Harmon
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto 
on 01.11.08
Houses can really muck up a site or they can tread lightly; Frank Harmon raised the Strickland-Ferris House off the ground on columns to preserve hydrological patterns and save surrounding trees. "We knew we had to raise the house up off the ground and let the water flow under it" says Harmon. It also helped preserve all the major trees in the 150 year old forest.
It also has a butterfly roof to collect rainwater, Hardipanel and sustainably harvested timber cladding, and houses a great collection of modern furniture.
According to Architectural Record, "The juxtaposition of luxurious materials like polished cherry and rough ones like plywood and scrap steel reminds Harmon of Japanese temples where gold leaf sometimes coats rough-wood columns."
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