-
The Restored HIRAM SANFORD house with the separate container house (behind) as seen from the street. As part of the historic house Restoration process- we removed the improvised additions that had COMPROMISED the original STRUCTURE.
-
The container house, tucked away, is a gem to be discovered. The new separate structure replaced the lost square-footage from the removal of the poor additions from the historic house.
-
Two Houses from different centuries, a conversation expressed through building technology- each using the means of their time.
-
A container home doesn’t have to feel small or look pasted together. It can be well-finished to the highest standards.
-
The container house pavilion opens to the landscape, extends the living space, and blurs the line between inside and outside.
-
The Restored HIRAM SANFORD house interior overlooking the container house
-
The container house pavilion opens to the landscape, extends the living space, and blurs the line between inside and outside.
-
Everything is perceived as prefabricated elements including the inserted modules of custom millwork.
-
Summer moon rising over the pool. A peaceful moment in the new outdoor room, framed by the container house.
.
The CHALLENGE
How to work with the dilapidated HIRAM SANFORD house? One of only 23 TIMBER-FRAME LANDMARK STRUCTURES remaining in East Hampton, some of the RAREST + OLDEST.
…Also, the house had been poorly ADDED onto over the years- some of these improvised additions COMPROMISED the original STRUCTURE.
WHAT WE DID...
We restored the historic house and built a new one.
It sounds simple- but to us, there’s so much more.
The CAREFUL restoration of the historic house was intentionally DIFFERENT from the RAPID assembly of the shipping container house.
This project turned out to be a TALE OF TWO HOUSES from different centuries, a conversation expressed through building technology- each using the means of their time.
FOR THE HISTORIC HOUSE WE…
- REMOVED the non-historic exterior additions
- RESTORED the timber frame house to its ORIGINAL FOOTPRINT- with careful craftsmen, appropriate historic building techniques, and materials, we restored the interior and exterior HISTORIC TIMBER FRAME DETAILS that defines the half cape house typology of Long Island. The FOUNDATIONS were repaired, as were all STRUCTURAL issues.
- RESOLVED concerns about livability and safety by bringing building systems up to modern standards and codes.
FOR THE PREFABRICATED HOUSE WE…
- REIMAGINED the site plan keeping in mind the local ECOLOGY. Across the east end of Long Island, the landscape is being forever altered by over-clearing and the maxing out of lot area coverage and height limitations. This project is a modest proposal that protects a community (and national) asset and assures it continues to be so.
- REPLACED the eliminated square footage, with a CONTAINER HOUSE which is SEPARATE from and acts as a background for the historic structure.
- RECONSIDERED what a container house can look like. Shipping containers are repurposed as prefabricated elements and elevated with inserted modules of custom millwork.
.
A Tale of Two Houses
Category
Preservation Architecture
Description
CATEGORY AWARDED*
*If different from category of submission.
FIRM CREDIT(S)
Submitting Architecture Firm
AMMOR Architecture, LLP
Additional Architecture Firm Credits (if named)
CHAPTER
AIA New York State
PROJECT LOCATION
East Hampton, New York
PRIMARY USE/TYPE
Residential - Single-Family Detached
IMAGE CREDITS
RODERICK CRUZ