Half Dose #56: Stillman Studio

The following text (in italics) and images are courtesy Pyatt Studio for a prefabricated studio/garage prototype they developed for Boulder, Colorado.

HD56a.jpg
Existing House

A typical suburban home in Boulder, CO that lacks the adequate square footage for home/office use.

HD56b.jpg
Urban Fence | Courtyard

The addition of a new stand-alone structure along the alley allows for privacy in the rear yard. This also creates opportunities to program the new alley home with multiple functions.

HD56c.jpg
Garage Subtraction

The area below the upper story is removed for a carport and entry into the new lower level.

HD56d.jpg
View

The facade facing the home is made transparent allowing for a view into the rear yard and to views of the mountain beyond.

HD56e.jpg

The project reminds me of the lost opportunity of garages in urban situations, particularly when they are sited off of alleys as in Chicago and other cities. In this case it provides additional area for a family of one, but it could also become a "coach house" that the family could rent out for extra money.

HD56f.jpg

The prefab design by Pyatt Studio allows for variation in the cladding of the volume, done in tongue-and-groove cedar planks vertically (above) and horizontally (below). The simple and clean form and materials (wood, glass and concrete) belies how garage structures are usually seen. Here the unsightly and utilitarian is elevated to something that would be at home in the front of the house.

HD56g.jpg

Comments

  1. an intriguing solution, but not necessarily an original one. people here in denver have been trying for decades to do this to their detached garages, but zoning in most neighborhoods just won't allow it.

    it doesn't mean i'll stop trying to get one above my "denver square" detached garage...

    hopefully pryatt has some better luck in boulder.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Calgary (Kensington, N.W.) is looking at this.... interesting as 100,000 or so move to Calgary yearly.... Have to live somewhere.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Comments are moderated for spam.