Bergen Residence

The Bergen Residence, inspired by the renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright, embodies his principles of organic architecture, seamlessly blending with its natural environment while fostering a harmonious connection between the interior and exterior.

Designed with a main floor and basement, the home integrates into the site, complementing rather than overshadowing its surroundings. The floor plan is thoughtfully crafted to balance openness with privacy, offering a functional layout that caters to modern living. The main floor includes essential living spaces, while the basement provides additional bedrooms and recreational areas, making it ideal for both private relaxation and family gatherings. The exterior showcases clean lines, wide eaves, and a low-pitched roof, reflecting Wright's iconic Prairie style.

Natural materials like stone and wood reinforce the home's connection to the earth, while expansive windows bring in natural light and breathtaking views. Horizontal lines throughout the design further draw the eye outward, strengthening the home’s relationship with its surroundings.

As part of a larger property design, and in conjunction with the DJB office, the Bergen residence holds particular importance in our firm's design history. This was the chance for our firm to authentically realize and experiment with many of its architectural ideas, revolving around prairie architecture and site integration. A private residence on 40- acres, the project became a philosophical exploration between nature and architecture. In keeping with the visual character and spirit of the office, large window openings and an uncompromising roofline are conceptual counterparts of an open and flat prairie. They follow and draw the eye towards the horizon line, in which a structural reference to nature is preferred. This horizontality, defined by the long raked lines of the roof, follows the house’s strong east-west axis. This orientation on the site allows for generous amounts of natural lighting, which is in turn controlled by the deep, shadow-producing eaves. Rooms stagger in either direction from the dominant axis, but are kept contained under the expansive roof that unifies the complexity of the design. Surrounded by mature trees and embedded into the slope of a hill, the home becomes an integrated artifact in nature.