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The design of the
Spiral
House
is based on the universal precepts of sacred geometry and sacred architecture.
In this light, a house or temple (or sculpture, for that matter) should
architecturally and physically express both a cosmology and a physiology: it
should be a reflection of the wisdom "'as above - so below", as well as embody
the 'macrocosm / microcosm' insight. It should be a place where a sense of the
sacred can be tangibly experienced; a meeting place of heaven and earth where
the practical and the spiritual are balanced and integrated with the
environment.
The spiral is a universal form and pattern found in
all cultures, since the very beginning of mankind's markings. It is the shape of
both our galaxy as well as our DNA, and therefore - is an excellent symbol of
the macrocosm/microcosm insight. The spiral is a sign of movement and growth, as
it describes a path and connection from the center to its periphery, in a
fractal - or self similar way. Some spirals, like the spiral of the nautilus
shell, literally embody the ideal or Golden Proportioning system (a.k.a. The
Fibonacci Sequence), which has been used in art and architecture since antiquity
to emulate nature's patterns of proportion, harmony, and beauty. When designing
our new home, the spiral form of the nautilus shell best expressed a sense of
organic growth and harmony with nature - in a way that would be functional, yet
also stimulate and inspire those who would experience it.
The
Spiral
House was designed and built by
Tom Gottsleben and his wife,
Patty Livingston along with a lot of help from friends. It is a 5 story
spiral structure that 'turns' 2 1/4 times around it's axis; the central column
of a 32 ft. stainless steel and glass spiral staircase. It is constructed of concrete,
steel, bluestone, wood, glass, and copper, and completed in 2001.
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