1290 HOUSE
& STUDIO
Amherst, Massachusetts
2007
The sloping roofs of the east/west volume rise up to accommodate upper stories in both the house and studio. They also funnel rainwater into downspouts leading to a round stone cistern which provides captured rain for outdoor purposes such as watering the native perennials that add texture, and color to the gardens.
Exterior walls are finished with ground face concrete block and painted shiplap cedar siding. The ground face concrete blocks were produced regionally and contain recycled granite chips. These not only provide texture and visual contrast to the siding, but also serve as a plinth against which snow accumulates, thus protecting the wood siding from the harshest effects of winter’s dampness.
The program includes both a family residence and a two-story studio space. The space created for the living dining area has a warmth that is largely due to the white cedar sloping ceiling with its recessed azure blue light boxes.
The studio itself is both separate from the main body of the house and linked via the sloping roof connector in order work as a visual unity. The exterior courtyard affords Miller Pollin a transitional space between home and work. Walking through this area, past the stone walls and lush plantings signals a shift from the domestic sphere to a work pace.