Commissioned by Wallpaper magazine for the 2010 Architect’s Directory, our firm was challenged to design an innovative small house of approximately 100m² in a rural setting. We responded by creating a get-away home for a temporal owner….an Artist’s Retreat.

The Artist’s Retreat was developed around two themes. First, the Artist’s program dictates the two separate living and work spaces. Second, due to the shoreline location, the house must be literally closed when not in use. The solution nestled one corner into the dune on the uphill slope. The exposed side deploys a wooden canopy/screen which pulls away from the house opening the courtyard to the sky and creating a shaded car port. The working studio rolls out several feet, cantilevering over the shoreline for unobstructed views. Here, a simple move radically re-orchestrates the space, and the Artist’s interaction with it.

Video available at http://vimeo.com/51231891

2012 AIA Philadelphia / Honor Award Unbuilt