Friendship
This ultra-low cost two family house on a highly visible urban infill lot adjacent to I-95 was designed in close collaboration with a local developer-builder with a strong interest in contemporary design. The massing is a variation on the standard triple-decker housing that populates nearby streets.
It creates a loose symmetry between the two mirrored units, which are arranged front to back on the site and share a common roof terrace between the double-height living rooms on the top floor. The result is a subtle icon for Providence,
visible from vantage points across downtown. The tight budget forced a unique resourcefulness in the design, with the goal of providing the highest quality of space and light. As a result, many of the materials employed in the project were sourced as remainders from other local construction projects, allowing a higher quality of finish across the project while eliminating the materials from the
construction waste stream.
The innovative facaed is clad in corrugated metal with inline frosted acrylic windows that selectively peel away layers of the exterior wall to reveal wall studs, and fiberglass insulation, as well as allow light into the interior. The large translucent light monitors are site built, with high R-value multiwall polycarbonate serving as the control layer behind the acrylic cladding. These monitors allow a large amount of light into the double-height living space while costing a fraction of a similar construction in glass while providing a high level of thermal performance.
The house is on a challenging site directly adjacent to Interstate 95 where it divides the west side of the city from downtown. The design balances the need for acoustic insulation with the desire to create a gateway to the Upper Southside residential neighborhood just beyond. The wall facing the freeway is outfitted with high-performance acoustic windows with picturesque views towards Narragansett Bay and College Hill.
