CC01 House
LEVENBETTS, USA
The CC01 House is a 185-square-meter, single-family home built in the middle of an agricultural field in upstate New York. It sits amid rolling hills with a distant view of the Berkshire Mountains. Long linear grooves, formed by the dimensions of machinery, the distance between tractor wheels, and the frequency of the blades of a plow, are etched into the hillside from years of farming. These lines that hug the topography were developed into diagrams that inspired the design and all components of the house, from its primary organization and form to the cladding and architectural details. This site-specific focus plays an important role in how LEVENBETTS approaches all of its projects. For the firm’s architects, a design always begins with the site’s context and finishes as a response to that site.
Consequently, two linear volumes make up the CCO1 House. The first volume is narrow and long, featuring the “wet” elements of the laundry, bathrooms, and infrastructure that house the water, gas piping, and heating components. The second volume is wide and long, containing the “dry” elements, such as the living, eating, and sleeping spaces. Bridging these two primary spaces on the ground level is a linear 6-meters-long kitchen counter that is open to the living and dining spaces, enabling the expansive flow of natural light to influence the interior aesthetics. Windows are placed strategically to ensure focused views of the outdoors. On the outside, a long terrace hugs the contour of the land from east to west, and horizontally oriented siding mimics the linear configuration of both the house and the site.
Sustainability also plays an important role in LEVENBETTS’ designs. The CC01 House’s passive ventilation system, large sliding doors, and a motorized skylight extract heat naturally, while a corrugated gray aluminum exterior and reflective vapor barrier dispel heat from the house. During cold winters, a highly efficient boiler, along with radiant heat flooring and a wood stove, wrap the house in warmth.
When onlookers gaze upon the CC01 House, they see a thoughtfully cultivated design that engages its inhabitants with the beauty of the outdoors while complementing the site with an efficient, sustainable, and remarkably comfortable solution.
Originally appeared in Modus News 2
LEVENBETTS
Founded by David Leven and Stella Betts, LEVENBETTS is an award-winning, New York-based architecture practice that focuses on urban design, public architecture, houses and housing, commercial workspaces, exhibitions, and furniture. Central to its work is the idea of an architecture that engages its urban and/or natural environment. The resulting design work is inherently social, necessarily sustainable, and devoted to the experience of its users.
Image by LEVENBETTS and all photographs by Michael Moran