MARLON BLACKWELL ARCHITECT

Albertson Residence (the Suburban Mask), Fayetteville, Arkansas (Oct 2010 Construction Begins):

The Albertson Residence is born of the tension between public and private identity. While suburban residences often present a false formality, the suburban mask filters both light and perception. By screening its identity, the house declines pretense and retains its mystery in much the same way a persona, or mask, shields an individual. This thin metal mask is also operable and ultimately gives way as an extended threshold, transitioning from public to private, and from streetscape to cloister. Light-filled spaces re-present the rugged beauty of the Ozarks, encouraging an appreciation and investigation of the built environment, the natural environment, and the relationship between them.