Horizon Minimalist Hillside Residence
Architecture · Structure · Interior
INTEGRATED DESIGN & ENGINEERING CONTEXT
Project Narrative
The Horizon Residence is an experimental architectural and structural endeavor built directly into a steep granite cliffside. The design projects a 6-meter living room cantilever above the valley, balancing off-form board-marked concrete with warm oak and basalt stone.
Primary Design Objectives
Anchor a daring 6-meter habitable cantilever onto steep granite rock formations.
Employ passive cross-ventilation and thermal mass strategies to minimize mechanical cooling.
Design bespoke minimalist interior joinery and frameless floor-to-ceiling panoramic glass walls.
Achieve complete seismic and slope stability verification in ETABS and Geotechnical 2D FEA.
- Typology
- Cliffside Private Residence
- Location
- Taiz, Yemen
- Site Area
- 680 m²
- Built-up Area (BUA)
- 760 m²
- Number of Floors
- 2 Cascading Levels + Cantilever Deck
- Project Year
- 2025
- Status
- Completed
- Structural System
- Hybrid Reinforced Concrete and Structural Steel Cantilever Box Girder
ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXT & CONCEPTUAL FORMATION
Establishing environmental logic, microclimatic data, and contextual rationale before technical architectural modeling.
Cliffside Slope & Geotechnical Anchor Analysis
Granite bedrock with 28-degree slope gradient. Rock anchors pre-stressed to 400 kN drilled 12 meters into bedrock ensure total slope stability under maximum seismic acceleration.
Rock Strata & Pre-stressed Anchor Diagram
Geotechnical Anchor Depth & Rock Quality Designation (RQD > 85%)
Anchor spacing grid and rock tensile failure cone verification.
SPATIAL ARCHITECTURE & BLUEPRINTS
Sequential architectural progression: Concept → Zoning → Circulation → Site Plan → Working Floor Plans → Sections → Elevations → 3D Renders.
Architectural Concept: The Levitating Pavilion
Volumetric Cantilever Concept Diagram
Cantilever 6.0m Extension Over Natural Slope
Weight distribution and cantilever balance diagram.
Architectural Plans
Open-concept social floor plan leading directly to the suspended infinity edge pool and private bedrooms nestled into the cool rock face.
Main Level Plan & Cantilever Deck
Scale 1:100 — Living, Open Kitchen & Infinity Pool
Shows seamless transition from rock-cut courtyard to the floating cantilevered salon.
STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING & FEA ANALYSIS
Rigorous finite element modeling: Grid Axes → Columns → Beam Framing → Slab Layouts → Foundations → ETABS & SAFE Performance Results.
ETABS 3D Finite Element Deep Beam & Tension Tendons
Cantilever Span 6.0m — Deflection Verification
Stress trajectory plots showing compressive struts and post-tensioned cable profiles.
INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE & BESPOKE JOINERY
Holistic interior design process: Mood Boards → Space Planning → Furniture Schedules → RCP & Lighting → Material Finishes → 3D Visualization.
Material Palette & Interior Mood Board
Board-Marked Concrete, Smoked Oak & Black Anodized Steel
Minimalist textures and monochromatic tones highlighting mountain daylight.
THE CULMINATION OF INTEGRATED DESIGN
A fearless union of geological anchor, cantilevered structural engineering, and serene architectural poetry.
Hero View — Levitating Cliffside Residence
The 6-meter cantilever hovering over the valley below.
Living Room & Frameless Glass Wall
Panoramic 270-degree view framed by board-marked concrete ceilings.
Pool Terrace Overlook
Cantilevered infinity lap pool edge blending into the mountain horizon.
ARCHITECTURE × STRUCTURE × INTERIOR
One Project. One Integrated Design. Seamless precision spanning every structural beam, architectural elevation, and bespoke interior junction.