Drawing from the New England archetype of a connected farmstead, this house utilizes three gabled forms to distribute program via “big house”, “little house”, and “barn.” The architectural language borrows from and updates agrarian architecture and extends it across all volumes. It diverges from the traditional paradigm through its connections, staggering and separating the volumes, infilling the interstitial spaces with glass. These connectors overcome a deficiency in traditional architecture, providing direct connections to the adjacent meadow.
The big house occupies the tallest volume, centered within the composition. It contains the public spaces: kitchen, dining, and living room on the first floor and guest bedrooms on the second. A stair coupled with an opening in the ceiling provides double-height space over the dining table, taking advantage of the big house’s gable form. Interior finishes include wood floors, painted wood ceilings and structure, and Shaker-inspired cabinetry.
The barn comprises the utility spaces: garage, laundry, and pantry along with a flex space upstairs. The structural system is a timber frame, and the finishes are simple and rustic, consistent with its precedent.
The little house is the smallest gabled form and contains the primary bedroom. Employing a similar aesthetic as the big house, it places all central spaces on the ground floor to assist with aging-in-place. The glass bridges represent the greatest divergence from the traditional-inspired interiors. Large glass or screen panels maximize views while the structure is a hybrid of steel and exposed timber. Exterior stone pavers continue inside blurring the line between interior and exterior.
Overlapping the volumes serves two purposes: it creates a series of outdoor rooms and weaves the structure into the surrounding landscape. Informed by the connected farm, this house echoes the pastoral memory of the region while updating the precedent to establish a greater rapport with its site.
Design for Integration:
The site for this project was an old farmstead, and the new building borrows its architectural language from vernacular agrarian structures. The project was designed as three connected masses reflecting the concept of a connected farm, including a barn (garage), main house (living and sleeping), and shed (primary bedroom), which provides programmatic transparency as well.
The volumes of the building are shifted to create a series of exterior rooms and to weave into the meadow. Defined areas include an arrival court, a back patio, and a parking court. Glass connectors provide a strong connection to the environment as one moves between masses.
Design for Ecosystems:
The house was sited to allow for minimal regrading and disturbance of the site. A majority of the site was retained as a meadow with only small areas of lawn at the entry and back patio.
In addition to establishing site connections, the staggered forms take advantage of solar movement, forming a series of small south-facing outdoor courtyards. These outdoor rooms create microclimates that capture the sun, allowing use of these spaces from early spring to late fall. Additionally, they allow for a kitchen garden where the owners grow vegetables and herbs.
Site lighting followed dark sky guidelines in addition to using timers and photovoltaic sensors to minimize outdoor lighting usage.
The project is located in an old apple orchard, and all existing apple trees were retained while new ones were added to fill out the orchard.
Design for Energy:
The building uses air-sourced heat pumps to provide heating and cooling, which is paired with photovoltaic panels to offset electric usage. An energy recovery ventilation system, along with using passive ventilation strategies, ensures good indoor air quality while conserving energy. The majority of the lighting is LED, resulting in lower electrical usage.
