Transformable House
Sagaponac, N.Y.
Kanner Architects

A Jewel-Like Gift that Wraps and Unwraps for Convenience

For more photos click on 'photos & drawings' above.

The "transformable" house is functionally a summer house that can "open up" and "close down" when the family comes and goes. Its cubic form is intended to make the simplest and most minimal statement, a quiet reflection of the wooded grove it sits within. Abstractly, it reflects its surroundings’ materiality and scale. As one approaches from the 200-foot-long driveway, the house appears as a refined element in the midst of the clearing, sets off a ripple effect of diverse textures, and evolves into a metaphor of the forest.

To maximize natural light and lift the house above the surrounding woods, the structure is raised on a stone plinth, where it takes on the character of a large cabinet. Exterior surfaces are manipulated—sliding, swinging, and pivoting vertically and horizontally. The adaptable nature of the exterior shell activates the house. Reorganization of the surfaces results in varied spatial and visual solutions.

The exterior is pure in its formal geometry and is contrasted by a complex interior with split-levels, high ceilings, and a sinuous circulation system. As one moves inside, the complexity of the interior volumes becomes apparent. The space can only be revealed when one enters and opens up the cube—it’s like unwrapping a gift with a surprise within.

Formal name of building:
Transformable House

Location:
Sagaponac, New York