“CUBE HOUSE” is a cubic volume stacked atop a grounded volume. Access is provided by a “dog-legged” stairway that leads from the street to the second and third levels. On the ground an articulated fence encloses, releases, and partitions space, extending from the interior to the exterior to gather and integrate nature.
“CUBE HOUSE” is in the Lower Heights neighborhood of Downtown Houston, Texas. It is situated south of the White Oak Bayou and north of the rail line to Chaney Junction and is bordered by an industrial zone to the south, Olivewood Cemetery to the east, and residential developments to the west.
“CUBE HOUSE” draws inspiration from Mies Van Der Rohe’s Riehl “Hill” House, utilizing “deep recess” to create shadows and separation between the ground and upper volumes. Taking cues from Spanish Colonial houses, it incorporates porches that provide protection from the sun and rain while creating contemplative spaces for nature.
“CUBE HOUSE” challenges residential design in urban settings. It reinterprets existing typologies and precedents under the umbrella of cultural and environmental sustainability, provoking thought about our relationship with nature and urban living.
Bio Bill Prices' career has spanned three decades, during which time he has practiced and produced work in eleven different countries. He has practiced professionally in Switzerland and the Netherlands, where he spent four years with OMA/Rem Koolhaas. There he acted as Research and Development Director and saw the Villa Bordeaux (Time Magazine called this house the most important private residence of the twentieth century") through to completion. Bill collaborated with Ai Weiwei in China, after which Ai Weiwei picked Bill's work to include in Phaidon's 10 x 10-3 Monograph.
