Designed with the homeowners’ vision for modern yet comfortable living in mind, the home balances bold architectural expression with a sense of warmth and livability. At the core, the concept was to design a highly efficient home that feels generous yet intimate, one that prioritizes indoor-outdoor continuity and long-term performance.

Inspired by the site itself, X Architecture envisioned the residence as three robust concrete volumes that step and cantilever down the slope. Solid concrete walls to the north and south provide privacy and architectural weight, while expansive curtain-wall glazing to the east and west opens the interiors to natural light and sweeping views of the surrounding landscape. The offset volumes also create sheltered terraces, extending the living spaces outdoors and strengthening the home’s connection to its setting.

Working alongside X Architecture, key consultants included Fast + Epp for structural engineering, Geowest Engineering, and Tritech Group Ltd., whose collaborative expertise helped bring the ambitious design to life. Embedding a structure of this scale into the hillside while maintaining constructability and waterproofing integrity required iterative design, precise engineering, and a collaborative approach that treated the structural and environmental systems as integral to the architecture rather than add-ons.

Inside, a restrained palette of concrete, glass, and clean-lined millwork establishes a distinctly modern framework. To introduce warmth and materiality, the design team selected Northern Wide Plank New Haven European Oak flooring, made-to-order, responsibly sourced wide plank hardwood flooring that brings a softer, tactile quality to the architecture.

“Northern Wide Plank’s New Haven offered the ideal balance of a natural aesthetic, refined texture, and technical performance. Its generous scale and light tones complement the concrete and expansive glazing beautifully, while the engineered construction and natural hardwax-oil finish provided the quality and performance this home demanded,” said Steven Cross, founder and architect at X Architecture.

Samples were carefully reviewed alongside the surrounding materials to ensure the tone and texture complemented the architecture without competing with it.

The 180mm (7-⅛”) wide planks respond to the home’s expansive volumes and long sightlines, creating visual continuity across the main living spaces. Subtle variations in grain and character celebrate the integrity of the European oak, bringing an organic counterpoint to the precision of the concrete structure.

Continuing through the kitchen, the European oak flooring brings natural warmth, creating a refined counterpoint to the clean-lined cabinetry and contemporary material palette.

In the bedroom, the light tones and natural character of the wood establish a calm foundation while complementing the expansive views beyond.

The matching European oak stair treads continue this material language onto the suspended central staircase, reinforcing a sense of continuity throughout the home.

Performance was equally integral to the selection. The engineered construction provides the dimensional stability required for the home’s hydronic floor system, complementing a broader approach to performance that includes geothermal and solar systems.

The result is a home defined by deliberate contrasts: solid and transparent, monumental and intimate, precise yet inviting. Thoughtful integration of structure, site topography, environmental systems, and natural materials allows the architecture to feel both bold and effortless, while the warmth, continuity, and material integrity of New Haven European oak grounds the dramatic concrete structure in its surroundings.