Johnsen Schmaling Architects
Set on 45 acres among the deep river valleys of Wisconsin’s Driftless Area, the Topo House takes its cues from the region’s distinct topography. The long, horizontal volume burrows partly into the ground, with an angled copper roof that gradually rises from the earth. Architecture and landscape merge in the small rectangular courtyards carved from the building bars. Black-anodized aluminum fins on the façade create a relief that evokes the wave patterns of the wind-blown prairie. Viewed at different times of day or from various angles, these fins create a changeable veil that alters viewers’ perceptions of the house’s geometric discipline. Inside, the functional spaces trace upward along five levels from the lowest-level entrance to an observatory that caps the 2,910-square-foot residence.
The jury generally agreed that the project had admirable ambitions and was executed at a high level. Yet they thought it wasn’t fully resolved—and even a bit overwrought in places. “It’s not disingenuous, it’s just not overly genuine either,” said juror Josh Shelton. “It landed in some middle ground. It’s super ambitious. And it has many specific ties to the site that cry out against generic modernism. In that way, it’s a model of what residential architecture should be.”
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Drawings
Project Credits
Project Topo House, Blue Mounds, Wis.
Architect Johnsen Schmaling Architects, Milwaukee—Brian Johnsen, AIA; Sebastian Schmaling, AIA
General Contractor Burg Construction
Landscape Architect Johnsen Schmaling Architects
Interior Designer Johnsen Schmaling Architects
Photography John J. Macaulay
Project Size 2,910 square feet
Construction Cost $354 per square foot
Materials and Sources
Bathroom Cabinets Custom
Bathroom Fittings Kohler kohler.com
Bathroom Fixtures Lacava lacava.com
Cooktop/Oven Miele mieleusa.com
Countertops Custom stainless steel
Dishwasher Bosch bosch-home.com
Exterior Siding Cedar
Flooring Polished integrally colored concrete floors; White oak
Garage Doors Clopay clopaydoor.com
Garbage Disposal Custom
Hardware Amerock amerock.com; Schlage schlage.com
HVAC Trane trane.com
Insulation Biofoam biofoamusa.com
Kitchen Cabinets Bulthaup bulthaup.com
Kitchen Fittings Grohe grohe.com
Kitchen Fixtures Custom stainless steel
Lighting Fixtures Bega bega-us.com; Cooper Lighting, Iris cooperindustries.com; Juno junolightinggroup.com
Paints and Finishes Benjamin Moore & Co. benjaminmoore.com
Refrigerator Thermador thermador.com
Roofing Johns Manville jm.com
Windows Custom; Eagle eaglewindow.com
