Location: Wisconsin, United States Year of construction: /996 Architects: Vincent James, Paul Yaggie Associates: Nancy Blanfard, Nathan Knnston, Andrew Dull, Steve Lazen, Krista Scbeib, Julie Snow, Taavo Sower, Kate Wyberg Photography: Don F. Wong
This house is in fact a collection of spaces that correspond to the rhythms and patterns of domestic life. Using structures similar to wooden boxes, a series of different, linking architectural environments has been created.
Each has its own specific proportions, aspect, and natural light. Despite being of strictly orthogonal composition, the articulation of the different units produces a continually changing succession of views of the surrounding area. Similarly, the turns and angles of the different rooms of the building create a number of semi-enclosed exterior spaces.
Geometrically, the composition is based on interlinking parallelepipeds at different heights and with different positions. The largest rooms, terraces, and balconies form the central area of each body, and it is in these spaces that family
Bluish stone was chosen for the base of the house as the color is very similar to that of the bark on the lower trunks of the tall trees in the surrounding woodland.
members come together; at the junctions and intersections between the units, the spaces tend to be more enclosed and smaller, making them more secluded and intimate.
Both the rooms and the courtyards are designed as uncomplicated, accessible spaces, simple in form, that take on life with daily use and the changing seasons. The system of construction, like the finishes chosen, takes its inspiration from the typical rural architecture of the northern United States.
The end result is both abstract and friendly, thus meeting the requirements of the owners, who wanted a warm and rustic home.
The materials on the exterior — mainly copper sheeting from the Douglas company and bluish stone — are arranged in different ways and bring a great variety of rhythm and texture to the elevations. The copper cladding has not been treated to withstand the elements, the intention being to allow it to age naturally.
View of the inner courtyard in the south wing and the walkway above or. the second floor. This courtyard lies between the garage and the kitchen. The wall on the left has been adapted to act as a wood store.
Natural light enters the house through vertical wooden window shades that act as a filter against the direct rays of the sun. The positioning of the openings in the elevations creates a variety of effects in the interior.
In the interiors, there is no attempt to conceal blemishes. Many of the wooden panels still show rhe marks left by the construction process.