"Don't hurt the boulders" was the request from the client who asked Faulkner Architects to design this remote getaway on a rocky site in California.

The AIDS research scientist lives in New York City but desired a place to escape to. After finding a site on rough terrain leading down to a ravine in Truckee, near Lake Tahoe, they turned to locally based Faulkner Architects.

Respect for the untouched natural setting was a priority from the outset, so the firm designed the residence over or around all of the largest boulders dotted around the plot.

"The house was built around and in deference to every rock," said Faulkner Architects. "The house cantilevers over several boulders; there's a feeling of it not even touching the site," they added.
The low-slung Creek House is clad in concrete, wood, and dark panels ? a sober palette that allows it to blend into its context.

The main entrance is from the north, where a massive wall runs from north-east to south-west. This provides privacy for the client, but also helps shade the interiors from the summer sunlight, which can be harsh.

"Densely packed public areas lead to wide-open private spaces," said the architects, describing the programme as "a reversal of the usual, where the private spaces are smaller and more enclosed."

An open-plan kitchen, living, and dining room occupies the centre of the home and overlooks the ravine below. A corridor follows the main concrete wall,...