Project posted by Neumann Monson Architects

Koser II

Year
2017
Structure
House (Single Residence)
Style
Modern
The broodingly dark exterior of Koser II by Neumann Monson Architects hides welcoming interior and outdoor spaces. The property “absorbs roof and deck runoff through a sunken rain garden in the rear yard. The garden’s leafy vegetation and soft edges counterpoint the clean, crisply executed pool—around which the airy, cedar-clad house wraps.”
The broodingly dark exterior of Koser II by Neumann Monson Architects hides welcoming interior and outdoor spaces. The property “absorbs roof and deck runoff through a sunken rain garden in the rear yard. The garden’s leafy vegetation and soft edges counterpoint the clean, crisply executed pool—around which the airy, cedar-clad house wraps.”

Details

Square Feet
2850
Bedrooms
4
Full Baths
4
Partial Baths
1

Credits

Photographer
Cameron Campbell Integrated Studio

From Neumann Monson Architects

Pragmatic building strategies and an expressive palette bring zero-energy building performance to a walkable Iowa City neighborhood.

A darkened exterior shell emphasizes the house’s introversion. Spaced boards veil outdoor spaces and selective windows guard slivered glimpses inside. The brooding demeanor is belied by a welcoming overhang that bridges the entry and an intimate outdoor dining nook. Both share smooth cedar siding with a delicate grain that relieves the surrounding rough shakes with inviting, tactile vulnerability. The textural contrast foreshadows the experiential core of the house, a bright courtyard carved from the house’s crusty perimeter.

The design bears the mark of the 1960’s home that came before it. Removing the existing house’s superstructure and incorporating its slab-on-grade foundation into the new construction makes the most of the predecessor’s limited potential. Additional foundations and a concrete collar support exterior walls of nine- and ten-foot pre-cut studs. Their height differential provides adequate slope to the 14-inch truss-joists spanning the 20-foot width. Operable windows extend to the ceiling plane, maximizing daylight penetration and encouraging cross-ventilation. Foamed-in-place insulation and a continuous rigid insulation shell provides R-24 at the walls and R-40 at the roof. An insulated radiant topping slab, poured and polished before interior walls were framed, serves as a climate-controlling finish floor.

Supplementing the radiant floor is a highly efficient, geothermal climate control system coupled to a horizontally-bored loop beneath the parcel. When cooling the home, heat is rejected into the pool via a heat exchanger, further maximizing efficiency. Perched atop the roof, a 10.08kW photovoltaic array powers the mechanical system, car charging station, LED lighting, and EnergyStar appliances.

The property absorbs roof and deck runoff through a sunken raingarden in the rear yard. The garden’s leafy vegetation and soft edges counterpoint the clean, crisply executed pool around which the airy, cedar-clad house wraps.