Shell House is a dome-shaped retreat home and artists residency located in the Catskill Mountains. Originally designed in 1996 by Seymour Rutkin with consultation from the Monolithic Dome Institute, the home features a unique oblate-ellipsoid shotcrete dome structure and passive solar strategies such as a Trombe wall and an expansive south-facing glass window wall to daylight the home and take in views of the verdant hills and valley.
DAAM was engaged to renovate the entry sequence, kitchen and redesign the supplemental heating system to accommodate contemporary living needs. The new design repositions the kitchen as the central feature and focal point of the two-story home while referencing the unique geometry of the Shell House’s original design and resolving problematic head clearance issues.
Borrowing from the dome’s organically-inspired geometry, DAAM created a series of soft-edged island units tethered by a horizontal countertop surface to produce an overall spatial composition that organically wraps the surfaces of the kitchen while providing a functional open floor plan. The form of each island unit is based on the dimensional requirements of the discrete kitchen appliances they house and their orientation relative to the dome’s surface. DAAM worked closely with the contractor and cabinetmaker to develop a laser-scanned point cloud of existing structure to ensure each island unit was a custom-tailored fit to the dome’s variable surface.
DAAM developed a palette of materials that respected and complemented the original design while adding a playful texture to the home. Dark stained walnut cabinetry runs across the kitchen and entry foyer to unify the space. The fluted wood surface of the entry island catches light and shadow while hidden storage compartments are accessed by door pulls which seamlessly emerge from the island’s textured surface. White quartz countertops provide a sense of lightness while the pennyround backsplash, brass drawer pulls, ceramic tile pattern, and door vision panels further reference the unique form of the Shell House.
The Shell House renovation takes a simple yet considered approach to energy consumption. A new energy-efficient mechanical system provides supplemental heat to warm the dome during the winter month while cooling is handled passively. Several passive strategies were utilized to supplement Rutkin’s original design including improved cross-ventilation through the introduction of a centrally-located high-volume, low-speed ceiling fan and the application of sun-control film on the south-facing glazed wall to assist with temperature and glare control in the summer months
Material Used:
Flooring: Ceramic Tile, Arc 8”x8” (Federal Blue), Cle Tile
Doors: Hardwood Door, Model: MCM-0-L-1-2 (Walnut), Mai Door
Interior lighting: Globe Pendant Light, West Elm
Interior furniture: Tripod Stool, Erickson Aesthetics
Drawer Pulls: Half Moon Medium (Brass) & Mackinaw (Brass), Park Studio
Appliances: Bosch (Stainless Steel)
Faucet: Simplice (Stainless Steel), Koehler
Sink: Quartz Undermount, Elkay
Countertop: Statuario Nuvo 5111, Ceasarstone
Backsplash: Pennyrounds (Dandelion), Nemo
