Grand house was conceived as a response to the owner’s request for an “urban barn.” Previously an apartment, its simple shape, with a “bar-code” patterned sheet metal cladding and “hay loft” type windows is combined with a “blade- like” west façade. The house is set amidst, two gardens with a spa/pool, and an “archival” garage sheathed in a cedar and steel structure that becomes a trellis for a covered patio. To reduce its energy consumption, the house has photovoltaic and solar water heating panels on the roof. Conservancy efforts were achieved with wood fiber beams to replace load bearing walls; keeping the original foot print and maintaining the existing ceiling and roof heights. Industrial materials like steel channels and bolts were used to create a rustic “loft-like” language. The same vocabulary was applied to specifying and detailing various building components, including the exterior fencing.
