AIA Pittsburgh Chapter, Citation of Merit for Design Excellence
Pittsburgh Magazine Superior Interiors, Winner (Residence New Construction)
The project was designed in accordance with our client’s desire to build a contemporary interpretation of a traditional Pennsylvania Farm House to include outbuildings and pasture on a 6-acre site in Indiana Township. From the road the site is steeply sloped to a modest relatively flat clearing, which was enlarged to accommodate the client’s program.
The composition of the site accommodated both agrarian and domestic living while inscribing the landscape with the romantic desires rooted in the rural experience. The nine-square framework of post and beam construction provides an elemental frame to the surrounding landscape which structures the plan.
The plan is bilaterally symmetrical along the cardinal axes, distributing the formal areas to the north and informal areas to the south. The west face is protected by large porches which flank the entry while the kitchen and trellised terrace anchors the house to the east.
The formality of the front elevation anchors the house to the west and attempts to resolve the issue of placing a “farm house” on a sloped site. The south elevation begins to erode the frontal symmetry which is fully dissolved at the east elevation. The changes in elevation reflect shifts from formal to informal rooms within the house while responding to environmental conditions.
