Situated on the south and west facing slopes of Putney Mountain, Vermont this house engages the landscape and reinterprets the simple volumes of Vermont rural architecture. Three clearings in the forest punctuate the long gravel driveway and provide views of meadow, pond and house. In the final clearing, the house is broken into three volumes arrayed around a large rock outcropping with open spaces that frame vistas of the Green Mountains. The volumes follow the contours of the slope stepping up the hill to engage the site while a planned addition will continue the sweep of the volumes along the slope.
Each volume has a distinct programmatic function: a shed volume serves as a workshop and storage outbuilding, and two connected volumes form the main living quarters of the house: one volume serves as private family living space and the other serves as a public studio and meditation space. The house provides a weekend gathering place for three generations of family from around the region. Three main bedrooms are arranged to provide privacy while children's rooms with play lofts are integrated with the public areas.
The house is designed for maximum contact with the exterior while protecting the occupants from the harsh winters and hot summer days of southern Vermont. Three outdoor spaces, each with a unique exposure, allow connection to the environment throughout the day. A south facing sliding glass wall extends the kitchen / dining space outdoors with an eighteen foot clear opening. The studio space extends west through a sliding glass door to a wood-lined screen porch and a view of the mountain forests beyond. A shaded stepped central gravel courtyard provides relief from the sun on summer days. Narrow window openings on the north walls protect the house from winter winds while promoting cross ventilation in the summer months.
The exterior reinterprets local building materials with stained Western Red Cedar siding and corrugated steel. On the interior, the studio space is minimally detailed with white plaster walls and an acoustic fabric ceiling for piano recitals while the living quarters are selectively clad in local granite, maple and mahogany woods to impart a feeling of warmth. The building is framed entirely in dimensional lumber with a prefabricated wood truss providing a large span opening at the kitchen / dining area.
Architects: Kyu Sung Woo Architects, Inc.
Principal Architects: Kyu Sung Woo, (Principal); Brett Bentson, (Project Architect); Choon Choi; Katie Wirtz
Structural Engineering: Richmond So Engineers
Contractor: Vermont Homestead, Inc.
Client: Kyu Sung Woo, Architect
Project Size: 4,000 sf
Each Floor Area: First Floor: 1800sf (167m2); Second Floor: 1400sf (130m2); Shed: 800sf (74m2)
Total Floor Area: 4000sf (371m2) Total net area
Building Area: 4860sf (450m2) Total gross area
Location: Putney, Vermont, USA
Design Phase: 2005-07
Construction Phase: 2006-08
Structure: Dimensional lumber, prefabricated wood truss, concrete foundation
Major building materials: Western Red Cedar, corrugated galvanized steel, aluminum windows, Vermont granite, maple, mahogany
Electrical system: 4.8kW photovoltaic solar panel array
Cost: Withheld at owner's request
Kyu Sung Woo Architects
