This speculative house was done for a builder we had worked with on several other projects.  In retrospect this could be seen as a refined McMansion.  The goal of the design was to break-up the almost 10,000 sf of interior living space.  We did this in plan by constantly changing the angle from one part of the house to the next. We were thus able to break down the massing in several smaller pieces.  Then in section, using the porch, its roof, and then setting back the second floor, creating more roof, we hid much of the house under a roof that was almost continuous.  Using a hip roof instead of a gable furthered this illusion.  The angles of the plan created a roof with a continuously changing surface that did not allow the eye to rest or realize how large the whole volume truly was.