Steven Holl: Ex of In House

The Ex of In House explores a language of space, aimed at inner spatial energy strongly bound to the ecology of the place – questioning current clichés of architectural language and commercial practice. On more than 100,000 sqm of forested rock outcropping, the site named ‘T2 reserve’ has been established as an experimental topological landscape. Slated to be a subdivision with five suburban house plots, the site was joined into one natural preserved landscape.

The house’s geometry is formed from spherical spaces intersecting with tesseract trapezoids intended as a catalyst of volumetric inner space. The geometry of the spherical intersections begins to be felt at the entry porch; an orb of wood carved out of the house volume welcomes the entrant.

The shift in section of the house alters internal space with vertical dynamic spatial overlap. Situated around one main volume, open to the second level, with the kitchen placed in the center, alternative use patterns are created. There are zero bedrooms, yet the house can sleep five.

The house was made almost entirely from raw materials by the builders, crafting solid mahogany window and door frames, a mahogany stair and birch plywood walls. There is no use of sheetrock. The spherical intersection space was also crafted in curved, thin wood layers. All natural oiled wood and plywood interior finishes are part of the warm feeling of the interior spaces.

Ex of In House, Rhinebeck, NY
Program: single-family house
Architects: Steven Holl Architects – Steven Holl (design architect), Dimitra Tsachrelia (design architect, project architect), Yuliya Savelyeva, Ruoyu Wei (project team)
Structural engineering: Robert Silman Associates
Climate engineers: Transsolar
Contractor: JLP Home Improvement
Area: 85 sqm
Completion: 2016