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The architectural firm emerymcclure architecture was founded in New York City in 1996 – composed of the husband/wife team Michael McClure and Ursula Emery McClure, AIA. After years of urban living, Michael and Ursula decided to leave New York and seek out a place to continue their architectural works and take on teachings careers. They landed in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

In their search for a new home and what turned out to be their newest project, Michael and Ursula came across the historic neighborhood of Beauregard Town—one of the oldest planned suburbs in America in the midst of urban renewal. Their search led to an abandoned house demolished by fire over a decade ago. Michael explains, "It wasn’t even a house anymore, it was more like a site since only the frame and the burnt out shell remained. Ursula and I were inspired by the open space." Michael describes the house as a shotgun and says "it’s typical to architecture in warmer climates. The house is 12 to 14 feet wide, one room leads to the next, all the doors line up to allow for a cooling effect and direct light is received throughout the house."

Michael and Ursula’s house was once a shotgun duplex. "The major idea for our house was to find a dialogue between the old and the new", Michael explains, "we wanted to find a way to blend traditional Southern architecture and its unique culture with our ideas of contemporary architecture." In keeping with that spirit, one side was kept as a traditional shotgun and the other side was dramatically modified by realigning doors and windows.

Since the partition dividing the two houses was badly damaged from the fire, the architect couple was able to think creatively. Michael explains, "We kept the old stud wall separating the duplex exposed, allowing us to walk through easily. We mixed the Mies Van der Rohe idea of an open plan with the traditional 2X4 construction used in the South." With the partition still very much a part of their design, Michael and Ursula could use the stud wall as a way to separate public and private spaces.

The left side remained in its original shotgun form becoming what Michael and Ursula refer to as "the public realm". This section of the house contains the kitchen, living and dining rooms, and within this section there are no doors or solid walls. The living and dining rooms are connected by black center-pivot shutters. Michael explains, "Shutters are a traditionally Southern notion which you often see hanging on the outside of homes. We decided to bring the shutters indoors so we could modify the space between the living and dining room by opening and closing them depending on the occasion." Another deliberate detail on the public side of the house is the rubber kitchen floor. Michael points out that this detail again brought together their personal style with the prevailing Southern influence. "Baton Rouge has many petro chemical industries; therefore rubber is a local product. Also, Ursula used to practice ballet on rubber flooring and the floor represents that side of her."

The bedrooms, bathrooms, and office make up the private side of the house. As on the public side, attention to detail preserved the traditional style. The flooring on this side is existing oak. Michael says, "We salvaged what oak we could from both sides of the house in pieces and refinished it. There was enough to cover one complete side." The use of shutters in the guest bedroom, or what Michael and Ursula refer to as "the green box", allows access to the main living space when open. In the main bedroom, they fashioned a wall with varying sized windows. Michael explains, "We took the existing transoms from above doors and relocated them to the bedroom."

Michael and Ursula’s plan to design by "taking what was here and moving it around" has proved successful. Home tours often visit the 640max house and people are delighted by the results. Michael states, "With the creation of this house Ursula and I bridged the traditional with the contemporary--it’s how we teach, how we practice, how we try to live."

By Randi Greenberg

Gross square footage:
1,600 sq. ft.

Total construction cost:
$120,000

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