Credits
From Ann Delmonico
A new house for a ceramic artist and a rapidly growing family.
The site is a wide sloping five acre field overlooking the Sakonnet River with expansive views to the south and west.
To reduce the scale and take advantage of the daylight and views, the program is divided into separate one-room deep wings for living, bedrooms, garage and detached studio. A central ceramics gallery/spine became the organizing and expressive element of the design.
The palate of interior materials includes rift white oak for cabinets, stairs and ceilings. Countertops and tile are white to continue the flow of the white plaster walls. For visual separation, the gallery and sun room floors are concrete while the remainder of the home is knotty white oak. The wood stove hearth,, storage box and seat are of matching concrete.
Deep overhangs allow the owners to enjoy the outdoors with varying degrees of shelter throughout the seasons. Triple glazed windows, double roof insulation, high efficiency heat pumps and 10kW solar array helps reduce energy use.
As the family grows, other outbuildings/outdoor rooms can be added along the spine. Conversely, when the children move away, the owners can occupy the first floor of the main house and close down the other areas.