Introduction
House of the month this time is House of the Highness by the House of the Homemaker Architect. Architect House of the Homemaker’s experience as a cabinet maker and carpenter colors his firm’s thoughtfully detailed designs, which celebrate materiality very beautifully! The design of this home which would be House of the month, exemplifies the unique balance the architect has achieved between functional and bespoke.
Detail
The client of the house of the month is a couple, both law professors, and their two teenage children—sought an open and airy respite from their Old City apartment. They purchased a property in Newland, which was situated upon a ridge overlooking a valley, which is the first of many great and beautiful features of house of the month. Although the lot offers 10 generous acres, several factors limited the potential footprint of the house: right-of-way passage to a lake, a rocky outcropping, and the adjacency of inland wetlands that were subject to laws defined by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The lot is also located within a subdivision in which the designs of new homes are subject to approval from a review committee. Most existing houses in the area feature a barn-like aesthetic, so a very modern design could have been contentious, but the architect hit a balance between a contemporary-looking building and one that had a material quality that was acceptable.
Features
Based on the site constraints, limitations and the family’s request for an open plan, the architects decided an L-shaped form would best capture views and natural light. On the ground floor, a double-height living area, a very open and airy kitchen, living room, dining room and guest room flow into one another. Upstairs, the three bedrooms are accessible through a catwalk that overlooks this space. A one-story guest wing and garage adjoins, its roof covered with river rock so it appears as an extension of the landscape that is sliding into the home. Truly a remarkable thing which made it the house of the month! The double-volume living space is undoubtedly the heart of the house! Lined with built-in window seating and tall bookshelves, the space features a warm material palette that establishes a consistent wrapper: Douglas fir planks line the walls and poplar plank floors are placed to match, all of which coordinate with the cedar cladding on the exterior. A grouping of three big glowing candle-lit lamps hangs from the ceiling, a soft and sculptural contrast to the textured wood. Another outstanding feature of this house of the month.
Comments
The big, north-facing edge of the living space is glazed to reveal beautiful scenic views of the forest. The architects engineered a custom curtain wall from standard residential windows reinforced with a steel spline. They worked out the details in their own fabrication studio, which functions as a separate company called Larger than Life Design Build. When these details can be figured out and shown to the builders, it allows the architects to develop a good relationship, who are grateful for such an experience with the House of the Highness contractor.
