Each architectural style intrinsically relates to a specific context, period, or place. An illustrative example is the region of the United States, which was strongly influenced by the period of British colonization in the Americas (17th-18th centuries). In this context, dwellings emerged that adopted a distinctive architectural language. Moreover, the large distances between major cities in many areas of the country had a significant impact on the configuration of domestic architecture, resulting in the inclusion of barns and other structures that served various functions in addition to housing. This architectural style is characterized by its rectangular floor plan, two-story structures, gable roofs, and wooden cladding on the facade. These elements constitute an integral part of the vernacular expression of the houses from that time.
Speaking specifically of gable roofs, they are the feature most associated with the traditional aesthetic of dwellings developed between the 17th and 19th centuries, as well as later ones. One example is the Beachside House, which is a contemporary project documented in Swisspearl Architecture Magazine. This settlement is located on the shore of Long Island Sound, which divides Connecticut from Long Island, New York. With its four gable-roofed structures, covered with light-toned fiber cement panels, it seeks to be an abstraction of New England vernacular architecture.
The Identity and Functional Approach
The overarching concept proposed by Roger Ferris+Partners for this project was to conserve and reinterpret the distinctive features of Colonial Connecticut dwellings and barns from centuries past. The objective was to create a contemporary building that reinterprets these vernacular elements. In its entirety, Beachside comprises four gable-roofed structures: one larger and three smaller ones. All of these structures have zinc roofs, fiber cement panels, and glazed corridors connecting each volume, which are of a lower height.
Ferris+Partners explained to Swisspearl Architecture Magazine that Beachside's floor plan is asymmetrical to give the impression that each of the volumes was added over time while appearing to recede away from the shore. In addition, the composition of the floor plan resembles the typologies that inspired the project. The main approach to the house from the north leads to a two-story glass entry and glimpses a thick interior wall with punched openings free of glass, corresponding to the abstracted traditional windows set into the gable volumes.
As for the architectural program, the main volume, situated closer to the water, houses a large two-story hall. On the other side, in a central area, are the kitchen and the family room. On the ground floor, the smaller volumes are intended for a library, a garage, a mud room, and other utilitarian spaces. Upstairs, the bedrooms are distributed, with the master bedroom above the library and the garage capped by a guest bedroom and home office. In addition, off the family room, an outdoor dining area is incorporated.
Balancing Contemporary Materials with Timeless Aesthetics
In this project, the relationship between shapes and materials is everything. Although the gable roof and the composition of the volumes are important gestures that evoke colonial architecture, the materials play a fundamental role in the expression of temporality in this project. Achieving this goal required the use of materials and colors capable of capturing the essence of the project while responding to a new intention of materiality.
If Beachside were a literal farmhouse, its wall would be covered in clapboards made from oak or pine. However, in this case, light-colored fiber cement panels were chosen to cover all elements of the complex. The Carat range, with its naturally dried color and a slightly pigmented translucent finish, highlights the material's natural appearance and timeless aesthetics, giving the project a distinctive expression. Simultaneously, the use of the Largo format with an 8mm thickness provides the buildings with a highly effective protective layer against external elements. It also adds uniqueness and character to the facade, as the Ivory 7099 color creates a contrast between the dark-colored roofs and the light-colored body of each volume.
As the Swisspearl Magazine reveals, the entire house is clad in a fiber cement rain screen system with vertical joints in a staggered pattern that is revealed only when one is standing close to the house. These panels were carefully arranged in a brick pattern, which not only softens the building's clean lines but also introduces movement and further emphasizes its horizontal design. The panels are affixed to aluminum Z-profiles securely attached to plywood sheathing. While concealed fasteners were employed, it's worth noting that even exposed rivets would remain hidden due to the way the panels overlap, much like traditional clapboards.
Although new architectural proposals continually emerge that depart from traditional conceptions, this project shows how the identity of architecture can be reinterpreted and adapted to innovative design concepts that meet the contemporary needs of industry. In this way, the essence of the buildings is maintained while taking advantage of the technical and aesthetic qualities of new materials. This allows us to preserve traditional concepts while looking to the future, and even explore new applications in different contexts.
To learn more about Swisspearl Carat panels and the Largo format, as applied in other projects, visit the Swisspearl Architecture Magazine or refer to the product catalog.
