R-House

The prototype residence that we envisioned with Architecture Research Office for Syracuse, New York, is called “R-House”, a winner of Syracuse University’s “From the Ground Up” competition, held in conjunction with the Syracuse Center of Excellence and Home Headquarters, as part of their initiative to revitalize the Syracuse neighborhood of Westside. R-House presents an affordable, innovative paradigm for minimal to net-zero energy consumption embodied in architecture that is meant to nurture the spirit and engage the community as much as it is meant to perform in terms of cost and sustainability. Wrapped within its iconic exterior are expansive and luminous spaces that require only the equivalent energy of a hair dryer for heating. This efficient plan can be tailored to meet the needs of different families and is readily adaptable as these needs change over time. Designed for high economic and practical performance, R-House strengthens the physical and social structure of the Westside neighborhood. R-House transforms a typical gabled roof into a continuous folded enclosure that recalls the appearance and scale of neighboring houses while encapsulating new performance and programmatic requirements. Tucked within the house are a front porch and rear deck whose translucent walls cast an inviting glow after dark. Windows and skylights open the interior to views and are optimized to receive south light. The exterior roof and walls are sheathed with a stippled, corrugated aluminum, whose silver color and muted reflectivity contribute to a sense of vibrancy that counters the gray winter months. The interior is airy and bright. A two-story tall space along the east side of the house, lit by large south-facing windows that open to a view of the rear yard, is bounded by the stairwell and the bedrooms on the second floor. Humble materials, such as concrete, structural wood floor boards and plywood panels, imbue warmth and integrity. Translucent polycarbonate panels cover the east wall of the bedrooms, creating a soft, luminous boundary between the “private” and “public” areas of the house. The stair rail and kitchen island, made from the same material, are backlit to illuminate the interior. Earth excavated from the foundation forms a landscape that grounds R-House to its site. Enclosing the backyard, a berm planted with Little Bluestem, a native grass, shelters the owner’s personal domain. A slight depression in the backyard can be flooded and frozen for skating in the winter. Beside the house are located a terrace and planting beds for a kitchen garden. At the street, a bed for perennials creates a soft buffer between the sidewalk and the property. R-House is a significant opportunity to demonstrate the successful application of innovative, proven building and environmental strategies in Syracuse’s cold climate. The design meets the German Passivhaus ultra-low energy performance standard. This standard utilizes an extremely well insulated and airtight exterior envelope, an efficient recirculating heating and ventilation system, and high performance windows that optimize solar gain. Basic, sustainable construction materials are used throughout the house. In terms of construction, sustainability is primarily achieved through the reformulation of conventional construction methodologies, such that blue collar trades are easily adapted toward new green collar industries. R-House’s adaptability to different needs over time is fundamental to its sustainability. The 1,100 square foot base plan is designed to grow from a two bedroom to a three or four bedroom house simply by extending the second floor over the living space. One variation of the design includes a rental unit, which further enhances its economic viability. Based on the Westside market, this additional rental income provides financial sustainability for its owner. The scale and form of R-House engage the diversity of the existing housing stock, which includes one- and two-story structures of different styles. In transforming the gabled roof typology, our design provides a vision for the neighborhood that is both familiar and progressive. The design’s intrinsic flexibility to accommodate multiple site, size and layout variations makes R-House attractive to a range of individual owners and facilitates its widespread implementation throughout the Westside. The durability of the design and superior energy efficiency, made affordable due to the simplicity of form and modesty of materials, make R-House a vital tool for building a resilient community.