Cambridge House 3

In a dense Cambridge residential neighborhood, a developer presented seemingly contradictory requests for a three-unit development: large floor plates and a verdant setting; dramatic fenestration and interior privacy; historical style and a modern feel.

Devising a new typology for modern urban living within the historical context, the architects split the traditional New England gabled house geometry into three volumes and offset both horizontally and vertically. The simple formal gesture results in multiple sections filled with glazing running from the ground up to the roof line and over the ridge. The horizontal offsets open up the site for private yards and public courts, allowing unimpeded light and views into the interior spaces. The vertical offsets additionally created dramatic views of the sky while allowing for a gently rising program hinged on a levitating switchback stair, which culminates in a one-and-a-half story living space with a cathedral ceilinged primary suite above.