LOUIS SAUER

630 GATE HOUSE LANE

BUILT 1973

This house was designed by Louis Sauer, best known for his extensive work in the 1960s and 1970s in creating low-rise, high-density housing that combines design excellence with a thoughtful approach to function, A notable local example is Penn's Landing Square, a group of 118 houses occupying an entire city block in Society Hill. Given this background in urban renewal and new town projects, Sauer was an interesting choice to design a single family home on a woodland parcel in Chestnut Hill.

"He had a commitment to giving people who use his buildings maximum freedom of choice in their daily lives," according to a 1980 essay on Sauer's work. This house demonstrates his design ideals. It was conceived as a continuous flow of space, with one room opening to another, allowing it to be easily reconfigured as the family's needs evolved over the years. The natural cedar siding, multiple outdoor decks and huge south-facing windows with unimpeded views bver the Wissahickon woods create a living space that embraces the site.

The back of the house can be viewed by walking down the old carriage path at the top of the hill beyond the house; do not use the homeowner's driveway.