Following our previous visit to Seattle-based Wittman Estes, we are moving our Meet Your Next Employer series to Massachussets this week to explore the work of I-Kanda Architects.

The Charlestown-based firm specializes in high-end residential projects, ranging from “mountainside cabins to penthouses, barns to unique homes.” Regardless of typology, the firm describes each project as “a new array of needs and desires out of which to craft uniquely enhanced environments that enrich the lives and experiences of individuals.”

Over on Archinect Jobs, the firm is currently hiring for a Mid-level Architect to join their Charlestown office. For candidates interested in applying for the position, or anybody interested in learning about the firm’s output, we have rounded up four bespoke homes by I-Kanda that exemplify the studio’s ethos.

Cabin on a Rock, Thronton, NH

Located on a granite outcropping in the White Mountains, the Cabin on a Rock was positioned to frame dramatic views across the valley towards several prominent peaks. Sitting on nine hand-poured concrete footings in order to trade lightly on the sloped site. the home was initially conceived as a weekend getaway for two but was ultimately designed to cater to a family of four.

“We needed to maximize the footprint for these growing needs while responding to the unique characteristics of the site, including a very limited availability of ledge on which to build,” the team explains. “The geometry of the cabin reflects this evolution - a form that is shaped both by its occupants and by its surroundings.”

Prow House, Chestnut Hill, MA

Designed as a residential addition and garage, the Prow House was informed by the client’s love of yachts and wood hull construction. The timber-clad home sees a rainscreen cladding that re-interprets traditional rooflines, streamlining elements such as trim, moldings, soffits, fascia, and overhangs into a single fluid profile.

“This project challenges conventional facade construction by pushing a material traditionally understood to be hard (wood planks) to take on a soft appearance via geometric form-making,” the team explains. “Here, the Ipe planks meet at the curved corners like the prow of a yacht, flaring outward to provide overhangs above walkways, windows, and doors.”

BarnHouse, Sterling, MA

I-Kanda’s BarnHouse project saw the team rehabilitate an abandoned, 150-year-old horse barn into a contemporary family home. The 5,000-square-foot scheme sought to merge the client’s desire for loft living into the “outdated relic,” with en-suite bedrooms, walk-in closets, and polished concrete floors with radiant heat.

“The design leaves the timber frame structure fully exposed,” the team explains. “Floating white volumes weave between 8"x8" posts & beams to define habitable spaces while preserving the original scale.  Double-height reveals become intimate passages that create transition zones between living and sleeping areas.  The resulting 4 bedroom 4.5 bathroom dwelling has only 1 interior door, for the powder room.”

Circle House, Brookline, MA

The Circle House saw I-Kanda oversee the gut renovation of a 2,400-square-foot corner unit within a 1915 brick building. Seeking to shape spaces by the activities to occur within it, the team extended a curved partition from the home’s large bay window to define a circular TV room on one side and the backdrop for a piano on the other. Meanwhile, cooking is imagined as a “group affair” with a central chimney supporting a large island, and anchoring an open-plan space.

“Communal activities such as eating, sitting, entertaining, and relaxing naturally gravitate toward the curved, south-facing bay windows of the home,” the team explains. ”Responding to these activities, circular zones completing the curvature of the bays were inscribed into a dropped ceiling.  The ceiling itself was sloped to conceal all traces of the HVAC ductwork and new structural headers supporting the open layout.”

Meet Your Next Employer is one of a number of ongoing weekly series showcasing the opportunities available on our industry-leading job board. Our Job Highlights series looks at intriguing and topical employment opportunities currently available on Archinect Jobs, while our weekly roundups curate job opportunities by location, career level, and job description.