The architect cuts some existing building features such as decorative plasterwork, staircase, and roof into the joinery faces. In order to define the house unique characteristic, some materials like brick and wall are used as they are, without additional painting or more details. From the outside, Etch House looks like a total brick house but the modern interior will surprise everyone who visits it.
For the interior, the architect uses some materials that influenced by the building heritage and industrial location. There is a glass window that wraps up from the ground level of the house over the rear extension, creating a bridge into the outrigger. At the back of the building, a rhythm can be created by using perforated metal cladding on the rear facade.
The name of Ladder House comes from the ladder design in the kitchen. With this sliding ladder, the owners can put and take some kitchen stuff on the top storage. This kitchen is located in the same space with the dining and living area. There is also a small stair made from wood, providing easy access for the owners to reach the upper floor.
The new kitchen becomes a perfect place to cook and enjoy the outdoor view. In the middle of the room, there is a kitchen island and some wooden stools. The floor is designed with woods which are placed crosswise to each other. Near the kitchen island, there is a wooden dining table and two benches.
In order to improve the cost-effectiveness during the design process, some existing building materials are also retained as much as possible. The commercial paving is used too in the garden. And the off-the-shelf carcasses are used for the cabinets in the kitchen and put bespoke the doors.
The architect preserves the existing structure of this studio as much as possible while working with a limited budget. They use timber studs to create some new partitions and also splitting the studio spaces into a living area and bedroom. The off-the-shelf fixtures are also added, creating a new, larger kitchen.
In 2010, this studio apartment has a dark and poorly space with a narrow area of the living room. With the new design, a large window is added on the eastern area of the facade. This window brings a much-needed morning light for the interior. There are also folding, sliding full-height partitions to maintain the open-plan character and allowing to create a master bedroom.
To reflect the property siding, the interior walls are clad by the same system of clips and boards. The boards are very easy to be replaced and removed, giving access to the continuous chases that consist of data cabling, phone, power distribution, and HVAC ductwork. The HVAC and electrical can be moved, data cables are upgraded, and wireless transmitters are hidden.
The house is also designed to change over time with the family and unite them. The interior design and the materials of the house can create a comfortable place when the extended family gathers for their annual visits. Even the wine collection on a glazed wall can be one of the unique elements inside the house.
This house doesn’t have any prescribed path of circulation, creating some different encounters just like the Montauk social experiences. One can up terraced planter steps to see the rolling hills and ocean view and enter beneath the bridge. Or one can climb the entry stair of the exterior that separated by a glass wall. This house consists of an outdoor fireplace, a pool, and a dining area that become perfect areas to relax.
The limited material palate makes the architect uses travertine as flooring for the house terraces and also as a cladding on the open-ended boxes portions. There is a custom hanging system designed to use the stone for the exterior cladding. The fireplace merges the crafted, sculptural work of art and the utilitarian object inside the house, allowing the large open-ended volume of living and dining room.
Alana Groom
Bella Duckworth
Ella Summers
Karin Hoover
Linjo Joson
Molly Milson
TraceyC