Credits
From Dora Vanette
A pavilion adds modern edge to a Dutch Colonial–style house in Rhode Island.
Thomas and Susan Ockerse agreed that it was time to reorganize and enlarge their 1920s house in Providence, Rhode Island, but they had seemingly contradictory expectations. He wanted a dim study to protect his extensive book collection, and she required ample light for her plants. To help reconcile their desires, the couple enlisted 3six0 Architecture. The firm’s solution lay in the 1,100-square-foot addition’s envelope: Its “thick skin” provides 15-inch-deep recesses to hold bookcases or to become niches for potted plants. “The finned structure addresses the inherent contradictions of the project: books versus plants, storage versus space, light versus shade, library versus garden,” architect Jack Ryan says. 3six0 continued the ribbed motif on the exterior, where vertical Spanish cedar battens express the internal architecture. Horizontal western red cedar clapboards, finished in a clear coat, reference the original Dutch Colonial–style shakes in the same material.