Oakley House

Project Details

Project Description

OAKLEY HOUSE A pre-existing 28’ x 28’ foundation was used as a starting point for Oakley House. Maintaining this foundation was the lender’s requirement for a cost-effective renovation loan (rather than a standard new construction loan). Due to dry rot and deferred maintenance only the foundation and first floor framing were worth reusing. With this footprint constraint, the house was built anew on top of the existing foundation. This was both a cost-effective solution and a solution that saved embodied energy through foundation and other material reuse. To accommodate 4 bedrooms despite the small footprint, the second story cantilevers out both in front and in back of the house, providing the upstairs with adequate room while simultaneously creating covered outdoor space on both ends. From the side elevation, the house profile takes on the form of an iconic “T.” On the exterior, dark corrugated cladding provides a continuous, uninterrupted surface punctuated only by the window openings and porches. The porch walls and ceiling are made of painted white MDO panels giving the impression that they have been “carved out” of a pure rectangular block. The ground level interior living space is envisioned as a wooden “container.” Floors, windows, and walls are all made of maple, giving a simple and concise definition to the volume. On the north wall an opening in the wood paneling reveals a stairway leading to the bedrooms. Collecting all of the services space into the poche of the side walls allows for the living space to feel clean and open to the exterior. Centered in the room is a free standing bookshelf dividing the living room realm and the back porch from the dining and kitchen realm and the front porch. The success of the project lies in turning what could have been a limiting factor of the modest footprint into a clever and singular cantilevering spatial concept that is supported by economy, sustainability and experience.