American companies Studio J Jih and Determine have overhauled a historic home in Boston, which now revolves round a sculptural “hairpin” staircase influenced by the twists and turns of mountain roads.
Domestically primarily based Studio J Jih and San Francisco studio Determine collaborated on the transformation of the four-storey rowhouse within the metropolis’s South Finish.
The proprietor, a Boston native, desired extra useable house within the 15-foot-wide (4.6-metre) house, which was solely achievable by totally reorganising the ground plan.
The hefty current staircase took up a 3rd of the constructing, so it was eliminated and redesigned to be extra environment friendly and assist outline the remaining programme whereas adhering to Boston’s strict constructing codes.
The result’s a brand new white oak staircase that “unspools diagonally by way of the house” round a 40-foot-high (12-metre) atrium, growing the useable ground space by 20 per cent.
“Aptly named Hairpin Home, the undertaking takes the tight, unpredictable, and in the end poetic switchback turns of a mountain street as inspiration for the general renovation – and particularly a brand new unravelling central stair,” mentioned the crew.
Different rooms have been adjusted round this new ingredient in order that the most-used ones – just like the eating room, lounge and first bed room – have been elevated in measurement whereas ancillary areas such because the lobby, powder room and toilet shrunk.
“We carried out a form of stair gymnastics the place every flight was distinct from the others, due to its essential interface with the distinctive programmatic and circulatory circumstances on every ground,” mentioned James Leng, associate at Determine.
“Like how a mountain street derives its kind from the slope it rests on, this central stair was really formed contingently by way of the pressures of its inside context,” he added.
The stair flights have been fabricated by hand individually off-site earlier than being assembled right into a singular ingredient, linked by a steady rounded handrail.
Supplies all through the remainder of the home have been chosen to match or complement the staircase.
White oak and French limestone cowl the flooring whereas lime plaster is utilized immediately onto the brick partitions.
The primary entrance to the house is on the second of its 4 flooring, the place the principle lounge can be positioned.
Downstairs, on the bottom ground, the open-plan kitchen and eating space are organised round a monolithic island carved from a single piece of travertine – much like the hearth on the extent above.
A trio of French doorways open onto the bluestone again patio enclosed with cedar panels and enlarged home windows proceed up this south-oriented facade to herald the utmost quantity of pure mild.
“Every was elevated in scale by over 200 per cent, making a rear facade graced with daylight, views and which elegantly blends into the age-old brick of Boston’s historic structure,” the crew mentioned.
The constructing’s third ground is occupied solely by the first suite – comprising a bed room, rest room and closet – and the uppermost storey accommodates an extra bed room, rest room and lounge space.
“A substantial amount of the enjoyment we discovered on this undertaking was within the strategy of shaping it from so many dizzying constraints,” mentioned Leng. “Nevertheless it additionally must be mentioned that the undertaking may solely have been sculpted from the intensely productive collaboration between our two companies.”
Boston has no scarcity of historic brick homes, a lot of which have undergone vital renovations to make them extra appropriate for contemporary residing.
Examples embrace a heritage-listed Victorian house that was prolonged and up to date with minimalist interiors by native structure studio OverUnder.
The pictures is by James Leng.
Mission credit:
Design architect: J Jih (principal: J Jih) and Determine (principals: James Leng and Jennifer Ly)
Structural engineer: Group Engineering
Panorama design: Pate Panorama Structure
Normal contractor: Evergreen Group Firm
Millworker: Kenyon Woodworking
Stair fabricator: Stairworks of Boston
Plastering: Trowel Inc. Plastering
