Project Description
Category: Live
Honorable Mention
The winner of a competition to create a single-family prototype home for Syracuse, N.Y., R-House, designed by Brooklyn, N.Y.–based Della Valle Bernheimer and New York–based Architecture Research Office, reflects the scale and character of the existing housing stock in the city’s Near Westside neighborhood. But in terms of efficiency, the 1,100-square-foot home outshines its peers: R-House uses 71 percent less energy than an average home in Syracuse.
Built to Passivhaus standards, R-House has a well-insulated envelope, high-performance windows, and an air-circulation system for heating and ventilation. The silver-toned corrugated-aluminum cladding will stand out during snowy winters. The jurors appreciated that this project—at a cost of about $180 per square foot—demonstrates that 21st-century design belongs to lower-income residents, too. “We need to see more architects design work for American families,” juror Ted Landsmark said.