When New York firm Hariri & Hariri unveiled a design for a futuristic residence they called the Digital House in 1998, it caused a stir: in place of walls, the architects integrated floor-to-ceiling LCD panels that, when turned on, were interactive screens and, when off, became completely transparent.
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The house was never realized but, nearly two decades later, its conceptual underpinnings have been reintroduced in a quiet weekend residence in upstate New York. The low-slung structure marries innovation with a vernacular sensibility.
“We wanted it to be part of the architecture of the area, not a machine in the field,” explains Gisue Hariri, who runs the firm with her sister Mojgan.
Their client, a New York City–based IT specialist, wanted a house that was environmentally friendly, on the forefront of technology, and that would provide a comfortable retreat.
After establishing a site defined by a trio of rock formations on the wooded 140-acre property, the architects, inspired by the weathered agrarian buildings dotting the landscape, conceived the house as a collection of woodframed interlocking volumes, or “pods.”
The main volume, a combined kitchen and living space, features smooth stone floors, a double-sided fireplace, and accents of blackened steel.
But it is the concealed elements that make this a smart home: geothermal wells and solar panels provide energy, while a home-automation system allows the client to control the residence remotely through his mobile phone.
The architects paid particular attention to the subtle spaces between volumes, both emphasizing views through the building and out to the landscape. It’s in these areas where the wood structure is most evident, the ipé-clad walls intentionally splayed to evoke the buckling walls of aging barns.
“A lot of people eliminate these spaces,” says Gisue. “I think they make the architecture special.” Luckily, the architects had little difficulty convincing their tech-savvy client of this approach: he was so enthusiastic about the design process, he rendered the house using 3-D software and gave the architects a virtual tour himself.
PeopleArchitect: HARIRI & HARIRI ARCHITECTURE, DPC 520 W 27 STREET, SUITE 702 NEW YORK, NY 10001 212-727-0338 TEL 212-727-0479 FAX
Personnel in architect's firm who should receive special credit: PARTNER IN CHARGE- GISUE HARIRI PROJECT ARCHITECT- MOJGAN HARIRI (Registered Architect) PROJECT MANAGER- MARKUS RANDLER (Registered Architect)
Interior designer: THOM FILICIA INC.
Engineers: SILMAN ASSOCIATES (STRUCTURAL) IP GROUP CONSULTING ENGINEERS (MEP)
Consultants: Landscape: H. KEITH WAGNER Civil Engineer: PATRICK J. PRENDERGAST, PE Data & Network Engineer: PRECISION AUDIO VISUAL Soil Engineer: DENTE ENGINEERING (FRED A. DENTE, PE) Metal & Glass Fabrication: ARCHITECTURAL GLASS INDUSTRIES, LLC- TOM MILLS Pool & Spa: ALL AMERICAN POOLS
General contractor: JOHN LARKIN
Photographer: PAUL WARCHOL 212.431.3461
Renderer: HARIRI & HARIRI ARCHITECTURE, DPC
Software: VECTORWORKS
Completion Date: AUGUST 2014
Gross square footage: 3000SF (INCLUDING EXTERIOR LIVING SPACE)
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ProductsStructural system CONCRETE SLAB ON GRADE WITH STEEL AND WOOD FRAMING. REINFORCED CONCRETE RETAINING WALLS.
Exterior cladding ALL BRAZILIAN WALNUT (IPE) AND STUCCO Metal/glass curtain wall: ARCADIA SLIDING WINDOW AND WINDOW WALLS Rainscreen: BRAZILIAN WALNUT (IPE) Wood: BRAZILIAN WALNUT (IPE) Moisture barrier: GRACE, PREPRUFE 200 MEMBRANE Other cladding unique to this project: INTERLOCKING STONE CLADDING
Roofing Elastomeric: EPDM ROOFING BY FIRESTONE ROOFING SYSTEMS Metal: ANODIZED ALUMINUM- CHENEY FLASHING COMPANY
Windows Metal frame: ALUMINUM CLEAR ANODIZED FINISH- ARCADIA
Glazing Glass: LOW E TEMPRERED GLASS- CARDINAL GLASS INDUSTRIES
Doors Entrances: CUSTOM SOLID IPE WOOD Metal doors: ARCADIA ALUMINUM AND GLASS SLIDING DOORS- ALL EXTERIOR DOORS Wood doors: SOLID WOOD DOORS, PAINTED- ALL INTERIOR DOORS Sliding doors: ARCADIA ALUMINUM CLEAR Upswinging doors, other: UPSWING ALUMINUM GLASS – GARAGE DOOR
Hardware Locksets: OMNIA- TMORTISED LOCKSET Closers: STANLEY- POLISHED CHROME. PEMKO- POLISHED CHROME Pulls: FROMS + SURFACES- CLASSIC DOOR PULL IN POLISHED STAINLESS STEEL
Interior finishes Paints and stains: BENJAMIN MOORE
Cabinetwork and custom woodwork: KITCHEN- CUSTOM STAINLESS STEEL CABINTERY BY DANVER BATHROOM- CUSTOM IPE WOOD VENEER AND RECYCLED HAMMERED ZINC
Floor and wall tile (cite where used): FLOORS- GEORGETTE, MARBLE, HONED FINISH STONE FLOORING (INTERIOR & EXTERIOR) WALLS- ISLAND STONE BY ARTISITC TILE, RUSTIC SILVER QUARTZITIC SLATE (INTERIOR – MASTER BEDROOM WALL, FIREPLACE WALL. EXTERIOR- OUTDOOR LIVING AREA)
Special interior finishes unique to this project: INTERLOCKING STONE TILES BY ARTISITC TILE
Furnishings ALL INTERIOR FURNITURE SELECTED BY THOM FILICIA INC
Lighting Interior ambient lighting: PANASONIC SPECIALTY LIGHTING INDUST. INC. BEGA RECESSED WALL LUMINAIRE
Downlights: BK LIGHTING HALO BEGA- RECESSED CEILING
Task lighting: ALKCO- MINIATURE UNDER CABINET LIGHTING Exterior: BEGA Dimming System or other lighting controls: LUTRON
Energy Photovoltaic system: ELECTRICAL ENERGY IS SUPPLIED BY 9 SOLAR PANELS THAT PROVIDE 25KW/H. COOLING AND HEATING PROVIDED BY 3 GEOTHERMAL WELLS. |
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