Cube House by Palette Architecture

“The architectural solution was twofold,” claims Peter Miller, a Associate at Palette Architecture. “In addition to generating a threshold to the historic traits by carving a 17-foot square gap into the rear of the property, we endeavoured to make new contemporary connections by means of a 20-foot dice located in the rear garden.”

The removing of the rear wall exposes the contrasting characteristics of the parlor and backyard stages. A slim metal portal outlines the opening, drawing consideration to the distinction. On the lower stage, the incision makes it possible for for a continuation of an open up prepare, although on the higher amount, a gridded glass wall infills the portal and results in a sensitive veil to the additional classic character of the upper flooring. Getting cues from 19th-century Brooklyn constructing traditions, the glass wall becomes a porous threshold involving the previous and new.

The dice addition is a minimally-adorned, double-height extension that stands in distinction to the higher floors. It is absolutely free of all moldings and partitions, a characteristic that extends during the back garden degree. The slim edging of the kitchen cabinetry, the elegantly skinny borders of the custom herringbone flooring, and the slim strains of each and every light-weight fixture set the aesthetic of this flooring. Ancillary programs this sort of as the pantry, cellar stairs, powder room, and wine storage fill the narrow area together the Western edge of the kitchen area.

“The variety of the cube allows for a assortment of out of doors areas, and the very carefully crafted openings intensify connections to nature,” describes Miller. “For case in point, the upper deal with of the dice characteristics a huge, asymmetrical skylight that supplies a tangible connection to the exterior setting, allowing for people to track the passage of time and climate from the interior.”

In distinction to the reduced flooring, the upper ranges are much more partitioned and intricately programmed. On the very first ground, friends are welcomed into an open up, nonetheless official parlor. Massive pocket doorways open into a rear library major down into the cube down below. Exclusive Italianate trims, moldings, and colours distinguish the library and parlor, evoking a correct feeling of the building’s original character. A refurbished wooden staircase sales opportunities from the entry corridor to the additional intimate next flooring. At the best of the stairs, a personal examine, adorned with bookshelves and a pair of glass doorways, qualified prospects out to a roof terrace overlooking the back garden. The 2nd flooring also features the key bedroom suite, which options a functioning fire, a restored bedroom area of interest, and a marble-clad rest room. The 3rd ground attributes a pair of bedrooms and loos, each individual with exclusive wall coverings, fixtures, and lights. 

“The conventional and customized facets of the upper flooring stand in contrast to the basic and airy traits of the backyard garden level and cube,” concludes Peter Miller. “However, the dice harmonizes them and mediates the conversation of inside and landscape, just as the incision and ‘veil’ mediate the two unique inside qualities.”

Credits

Undertaking Supervisor: Peter Miller

Style and design Group: Jeff Wandersman, John Sunwoo

MEP Engineers: Ramierz and Azadian Assessment and Structure

Suppliers: Brombal Windows, USAI, Plug Lights, Tracy Glover Lights, The City Electric Company, Barber Wilsons, Duravit, Newport Brass, Randolph Morris, Rohl, Gaggenua, Sub-zero, Wine Guardian, Zephyr