Located in the suburban perimeter of Indianapolis, the house offers a serene environment for the display of art and a comfortable place for entertaining. The sequence of entry, defined by a series of horizontal elements including the garage, site wall and entrance canopy, both privatize and delineate the approach to the house. Setting the main living area of the house away from the street insulates the home from an area of neo-traditional influenced development, while reducing the impact of the design on that context. The intent is calm juxtaposition—not a radical statement.

Once through the entry sequence, the house slowly opens to an influx of natural light as it becomes more vertical on the sloping site. Defined by volumes of wood, the kitchen adjoins the living and dining rooms, enveloped by two niches for 17th century Japanese screens. Main rooms of the house all have views over a landscaped garden area, and a vista looking through woods toward a lake.

Materials were chosen to articulate the massing and structure of the exterior and the spatial qualities of the interior. Brick, the primary exterior material, was used as a tapestry of two shades that accentuate depth: the darker shade is used only for recessed areas. The remaining exterior walls are of cedar and redwood to create a contrast of visual weight and color with the brick. On the interior, millwork components, light fixtures and the dining table were custom designed by Brininstool + Lynch.