The Blue House | Rusafova Markulis Architects

May 24, 2014

A young family asked Rusafova Markulis Architects to design an energy-efficient home within their modest budget. Site constraints in the form of setbacks, an easement and two mature trees severely limited the buildable area, leading to a tall house with a compact trapezoidal footprint. To keep the house affordable, the architects designed it as a simple shed-roofed box with one corner carved out for a small covered deck.

The main house is raised above the ground, supported by a ground-level utility room plus individual foundation piers and footings intended to minimize damage to the tree roots. The social spaces on the second level are accessed by a short footbridge. The jog in the wall for the deck creates a visual boundary between the eat-in kitchen and the double-height living room. Upstairs on the third level is a bedroom with attached half bath plus a large open mezzanine loft. The loft is large enough that part of it could be enclosed as a second bedroom when needed and still leave a small loft overlooking the living room. Including the utility room, the house has 950 ft² (88.3 m²) of floor space.

The interior is mostly finished with sheet rock, but stained plywood around the stairs and along the loft adds warmth and visual variety at little extra cost. By keeping the building costs in check, the clients were able to splurge in a few keys places like the cable railings and the wood windows.

Enjoy the photos!