AEC CAFE: “Smart-Stell Residence in Durham, USA, by Tonic Design + Tonic Construction”
By Sanjay Gangal
The clients wanted a new house but not a new neighborhood. On one of their daily walks they found a 40-year-old structure for sale. The house, beyond repair, occupied a promising lot with a southeast exposure to a small lake. This gave the couple the idea to build their “home and vacation home at the same time, they said.
The design of the new house addresses two key site relationships: (1) the existing neighborhood and its contextual scale, and (2) the landscape of the lake. From the street, the new one-story house’s form is low, quiet, and horizontal, with the only real opening towards the street at the main entrance porch. Because this house would be a dramatic departure from the typical houses in the neighborhood, we sited it deeply into the property. READ MORE…
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