BOURIL

DESIGN

Sloped Sites

Steep terrain presents unique opportunities for exceptional design. By working with the land, we can embrace the site while balancing access, views, grading, and construction costs.

PROJECT CHALLENGES

FEATURED PROJECTS

Modern hillside home with stepped foundations and expansive windows designed to follow the natural slope of the site.

Terrace Residence

The last available lot is almost always the most challenging. This lot featured massive slopes which enabled a truly unique split level multi-generational home.

Contemporary home on a narrow sloping lot with a tuck under garage and efficient vertical layout.

Morning Side Heights

A tight urban lot with significant front and rear yard slopes proved a challenge when navigating Madison City's ordinances. A small WW2 era home was replaced with modern forms and material pallet.

Contemporary home built into a wooded hillside with multiple outdoor living spaces overlooking the landscape.

Hickory Ridge

A pool deck at the main level but full exposure for an in-law suite below. This house manipulates the existing hilly site to it's advantage to create a dream entertaining hub.

Custom hillside home with stone and wood exterior materials designed to transition naturally across changing grades.

Blue Ridge Residence

Situated deep in the woods, this home not only had to navigate the slopes of the probity but celebrate the long-distance views between the canopies.

Modern lake home with elevated living spaces and a walkout lower level designed for a steep waterfront site.

Lake Redstone

Balancing the need for flush entry at the front door and full exposure for the walkout below, this home takes advantage of the natural topography and uses masonry to anchor the home on the site.

Detached boathouse with an upper level pavilion built into a steep lakeside property.

Silver Lake

A boat house has unique requirements due to being so close to the water, but it can be a great opportunity for outdoor living and a way to elevate much needed boat storage.

OUR APPROACH

Of the Land

"The good building is not one that hurts the landscape, but one which makes the landscape more beautiful than it was before the building was built" - Frank Lloyd Wright

Navigating steep slopes can be a deterrent for some, but to others there's an opportunity to have a unique home without breaking the bank by removing truckloads of earth.

When considering placing a building on a difficult to navigate site, there's always a balance between the desire for specific views and sun exposure and the reality of code compliant water management, driveway slopes, foundation details, and so much more.

By designing homes with the structural systems and municipal requirements in mind, we can make the most of these otherwise neglected hilly lots.