Ridge House

What were the circumstances of receiving the commission for this project?

The project had a unique beginning. Our firm, which shares a studio space in the same building with the client (a DC artist and professor) discovered in a passing conversation that the house in which they recently purchased burned down. Knowing each other through the shared studio space, we suggested we would love to help them design the replacement home once they were ready to rebuild. Within a few weeks, we visited the site to see the destroyed home and discuss the project with the couple.

Over lunch in a quaint, small-town restaurant on the couple’s wedding anniversary, we continued our conversation from the site about their aspiration for the house. What resonated most was their desire to connect and preserve the beauty of the site; permitting nature to permeate the domestic realm. As a painter and art historian respectively, they described what the site and home meant to them and their need for a modest yet inspiring home. At just over a 1,200 square feet, the program was basic: a small painting studio, study, master bedroom, living room, dining room, kitchen and most importantly, a connection to outside and the river below.

Can you describe your design process for the building?

Like many of our projects, we begin with an intense exploration of the site. Specifically with this project, we spent a considerable amount of time walking, drawing and documenting the ridge in the spring and fall. Through a number of study models and countless sketches, we explored the connectivity of the building to the landscape (in particular the river).

How does the completed building compare to the project as designed? Were there any dramatic changes between the two and/or lessons learned during construction?

The realization of the project far exceeded the aspirations of the client. From early conceptual diagrams to the finished project, the ideas of a simple footprint and connection to the dramatic site remained consistent from beginning to end. The project is vividly recognizable from early study models of the scheme to the constructed home.

How does the building compare to other projects in your office, be it the same or other building types?

Our current projects are quite contrasting. Much of our current work is situated in dense, urban areas. Despite the polarity, we believe our design process is the true lineage from one project to the next. We are not wed to a particular aesthetic or material palette. We approach each project with resolve to uncover the specific context and qualities that make it unique. Our process is not a “one size fits all” but one that encourages us to find the design potential through better a better understanding of the place, culture and people for whom the project is about.

How does the building relate to contemporary architectural trends, be it sustainability, technology, etc.?

Passive Solar Design

• Long facades oriented along north-south
• Deep exterior overhangs and inset windows minimize solar gain and reduce glare while bathing the spaces with natural light
• Clerestory windows promote stack effect natural ventilation

• No site clearing, constructed primarily on existing footprint of house
• Re-use of site materials and original foundation for backfill of new house

Energy Efficiency

• High-performance building envelope with ventilated rain screen: Flash and Batt Insualtion System - Walls, R-37; Roof, R-68
• Hydronic radiant floor heating
• Light color reflecting metal roof
• Ceiling fans
• Mini-split HVAC system with energy-recovery ventilator

• Xeriscaping
• Tankless, on-demand water heater
• Low-flow fixtures

• Locally sourced materials: hemlock siding, metal columns
• Reclaimed wood-burning stove, sink and furniture

Are there any new/upcoming projects in your office that this building’s design and construction has influenced?

All of our projects are embedded with some level of influence that teach and guide subsequent projects. Whether it is gaining new knowledge from a client, contractor or the project itself, each offers invaluable lessons to take forward. The Ridge House is no exception.

How would you describe the architecture of West Virginia and how does the building relate to it?

With a vast agrarian landscape, West Virginia is nestled in the Appalachian Mountains. Many of the homes found in rural areas of the state are utilitarian, built by local people and tradesman. Constructed of local materials such as timber and stone, these homes were simple and unadorned. As utilitarian structures many of the homes began as one-room log homes with and end chimney. As space needs increased, the home could expand linearly. Also indigenous to the region was another linear based home known as the dog-trot. This home provided a covered open-air room flanked by two enclosed volumes. 

The Ridge house is a modern reinterpretation of the vernacular dog trot house found commonly in Appalachia. Based on the narrow site of the mountain ridge, the dog-trot allowed for the more private program to align parallel along the ridge, optimizing  long east-west exposures of the building. The public components are then shifted towards the spectacular view to the river and the Berkeley Springs & Potomac Railroad below.

Email interview conducted by John Hill.