Sun Path House and Other Cosmic Architectures by Christian Wassmann
Koenig Books, 2017
Hardcover, 136 pages

A few pages into this case study of Christian Wassmann's Sun Path House -- a freestanding backyard addition to a house in Miami Beach -- is the architect's sketch of the Great Samrat Yantra in Jaipur, India. Wassmann description of the astronomical observatory makes it clear it had a strong influence on him, both during his education, when he saw photos in a book, and at the beginning of his practice, when he visited it in person. Therefore, the link between the 18th-century sundial in India and Wassmann's aptly named Sun Path House, which is anchored -- literally and figuratively -- by a curved concrete wall that traces the arc of the sun on the summer solstice, is readily apparent. But another earlier project comes to the fore in my mind: Le Corbusier's Villa Savoye.
[Spread from Studio Christian Wassmann Studio | Image source]

Although Villa Savoye needs no description here, its three-story organization is what I hone in on, where I see the link between it and the Sun Path House. Villa Savoye's ground floor is set back, creating a turnaround for an automobile; the first floor "floats" above it, enclosing the living spaces and bedrooms; and the roof terrace features curved walls that create a sense of enclosure beneath the sky and frame views of its suburban surroundings. Likewise, the Sun Path House's ground floor is covered by the cantilevered...