880 LOOKING DECKAT CANOPY LEVEL

Living room inhabitants walk outside through a pair of glass doors and arrive at the edge of an oak grove canopy. Being elevated above a dry creek bed which is frequented by wildlife, this deck becomes a spectacular observatory and a great place to shoot the breeze.

Blackjack Oaks, which dominate the whole property, are a tree type with vulnerable root systems. Especially tormented by the compaction from heavy trucks and punctures by large piers, the roots demanded a deck design with the trees’ longevity in mind.

While treading lightly, one steel pier had been screwed into the steep ground between the house and the nearby trees. The design meant the entire weight of the deck assembly was focused downward as one point load and caught by that single steel pier.

With age, the two primary materials grow closer in hue. As the galvanized steel goes a mottled dull gray, the reddish-brown decking fades to silver.

JDS : design . fabrication administration . full-time on-site construction administration

materials : raw galvanized steel . raw ipe (wood) decking

880 LOOKING DECK is part of the 880 PROJECT.