The goal of this project was to replace an existing trailer home in the community with an inexpensive and more durable permanent residence for one of our Newbern neighbors. Built with a steel frame structure, the house is highly flexible. Meaning it can accommodate the use of many distinct materials, spaces, and additions; not only for each iteration but also to be added over the life of the home. The cladding materials, and even windows, are used on interior surfaces of the home to blend the interior and exterior environments. This articulation brings the exterior experience deeper into the home and helps to define the spaces, as they too are a function of the steel structure.
The roof shape is created by two opposite shed slopes at either end of the home that come together and form a single gable over the central dining and entrance space. The monopitched areas of the roof create lofted areas that allow for private bedrooms for the children without the required framing for a traditional second floor. The design of the lofts is indicative of the structural capacity of steel that allow them to hang from the truss above, without webbing interrupting the space below. Finally, this home’s success lies in the dichotomous nature of its construction. The home is a balance of the straightforward steel structure, and the infilled rooms and finishes that are unique to the site and to the client.
