Bruneau_1998 (1)

A fytreat Centre for "Whoie tftdtk
2.1.6 The Micro Site
Forestry Trunk Road
The site itself encompasses a variety of geographical conditions ranging
from open grasslands to wooded areas to cliffs. It became apparent that the
building site must utilize and make the most of these conditions. The
southeast corner of the large site offered this optimization of usage of
landscape while becoming a window to the south and west expanses. Also,
the existing east road allowed for easy access to this site.
When approaching the building site, the user is not overtly aware of the
entire site. Instead, a progressive unfolding of the terrain is experienced.
Placing the building in the southwest corner of the site provides a feeling of
journey, a progression fromone 'stepping stone' to the next. A. narrative of
movement and travel emerges. One begins to engage in an experience of
involvement with the site. The site became as important to the whole
experience of healing as the specific activities offered at the retreat.
Fig. 13 Aerial photograph of site.
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The architecture establishes a correspondence between aspects of the site
and its relationship both to the geographic context and to the project itself.
The building massing responded to four primary site conditions: one, the
northern surrounding tree line that helps to define and create boundaries of
a contained clearing; two, the edge condition of the southern cliff that works
in conjunction with the tree line to establish containment of the open space;
three, the foothill topography of the micro-site, and four, the clearing or
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