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Project posted by Luca Farinelli

Montauk A-Frame

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Newly installed douglass fir boards are the background for the original fireplace and stairs in the living room's double height space
Newly installed douglass fir boards are the background for the original fireplace and stairs in the living room's double height space
The kitchen details are in dialogue with the original stairs. Part of the stair battens had been concealed in a wall and were discovered during demolition
The kitchen details are in dialogue with the original stairs. Part of the stair battens had been concealed in a wall and were discovered during demolition
New CLT beams were installed to free the kitchen of any columns. The uninterupted span brings light and open circulation into the kitchen
New CLT beams were installed to free the kitchen of any columns. The uninterupted span brings light and open circulation into the kitchen
Brazilina soap stone countertop, zellige wall tiles and belgian terracotta blend in the deeply warm and textured bathroom
Brazilina soap stone countertop, zellige wall tiles and belgian terracotta blend in the deeply warm and textured bathroom
Detail of the white oak and soapstone for the kitchen island
Detail of the white oak and soapstone for the kitchen island
The douglass fir-clad walls of the A-frame are washed in the glow of the newly installed custom linear lights
The douglass fir-clad walls of the A-frame are washed in the glow of the newly installed custom linear lights
Looking back from the living room towards the kitchen and bedrooms, the house begins to glow as the sun starts to set
Looking back from the living room towards the kitchen and bedrooms, the house begins to glow as the sun starts to set
The house is a palimpsest of its previous lives and users. A focus of the renovation was to blend new and existing
The house is a palimpsest of its previous lives and users. A focus of the renovation was to blend new and existing
The A-frame house starts glowing at dusk
The A-frame house starts glowing at dusk
The existing house was extend at the back, with the addition of a bedroom on the lower floor, and a new rear deck
The existing house was extend at the back, with the addition of a bedroom on the lower floor, and a new rear deck
The board and batten cedar siding adds texture and warmth
The board and batten cedar siding adds texture and warmth
The new deck embraces the older trees
The new deck embraces the older trees
The new deck embraces the older trees
The new deck embraces the older trees
From the mezzanine, looking down at the owner's telecaster
From the mezzanine, looking down at the owner's telecaster
Detail of the pietra cardoso countertop
Detail of the pietra cardoso countertop
Some furniture pieces were passed down through generations and sit comfortable in the new bedroom
Some furniture pieces were passed down through generations and sit comfortable in the new bedroom

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From Luca Farinelli

This renovation and extension of a 1960s A-frame home in Montauk was a very personal project for the owners. The late father of the current owner had taken part in the construction of a prefabricated A-frame house, and added some personal elements of his own - such as the staircase which still serves the home.

The house has been backdrop to innumerable memories for multiple families over decades, and to understand its unique character - the very personal attachment of its owner - was crucial to develop a design that respected the very present emotional charge. The brief was developed with the owners and entailed a full rehab of the existing structure, a non-insulated seasonal wood frame home, to allow for its year-round use. The renovation included a full gut of the aged construction, an update to the building's systems and the reconfiguration of its spaces as well as an extension on the rear to serve a family of four and their guests.

To respect personality of the house while virtually tearing it apart to it's bones in order to rebuild it as an energy efficient construction, was probably the biggest challenge when work on the project began.

All of the interior finishes were removed, and the walls and ceiling were sprayed full with insulation and sealed with a vapor barrier. New douglas fir boards were then installed over the newly insulated walls. All the windows were replaced with high thermally performing ones, and two new windows were added in the kitchen, to allow more light deep into the house.

CLT beams were installed to carry the upper floor loads across the entire span of the house, allowing for the removal of columns and posts which had encumbered the layour and circulation on the lower floor.

An extension to the rear allowed for the addition of a bedroom and a full bathroom on the lower floor. A new ipe deck was also added to the rear.

On the exterior, cedar board and batten siding was used to replace the degraded plywood boards.

The design of all new elements wants to both blend and celebrate existing details, without imitating them. The new white oak, soapstone and pietra cardoso of the kitchen follow the clean lines of a contemporary design, while referencing details of the existing staircase, and blending in with the warm palette of the house.

The bathroom finishes are textural and full of personality. Artisinal wood-fired tiles from Cle' tile cover the walls, while terracotta tiles on the floor are in dialogue with the douglas fir floors in the rest of the home. A soapstone and white oak vanity floats from wall to wall.

A new minisplit system is concealed throughout the house, and serves both in heating and cooling seasons. An induction cooktop and electric ovens in the kitchen allowed to move away from the need for natural gas for cooking or heating.

New lighting throughout articulates the spaces, defining seperate functions within the open, interconnected spaces. Diffused lights wash up the walls and ceilings, highlighting textures and different materials.

The house is a good reflection of its owners - a multitude of personalities, experiences and memories, talking with each other while telling their own, unique story.