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Messina, N.Y.
Michael P. Johnson Design Studios
"I don’t sell plans, I sell design," was architect,
Michael P. Johnson’s response when he received a call
from Roger Sullivan. Sullivan placed a call to Johnson requesting
the plans to Johnson’s own Arizona home that had been
featured in a national publication. The architect’s primary
concern was the viability of a large beamed residence for
Sullivan’s recently purchased land in upstate New York.
"His request may not have been appropriate as a design
solution," says Johnson, "but when I received photographs
and a survey of the site, I was delighted to see a chance
to utilize this plan." In fact, Johnson intuitively saw
an opportunity to implement the design in a way that Sullivan
had overlooked. While Sullivan had purchased two lots of land
in order to accommodate a new residence, the architect saw
the opportunity to use the house as a bridge over the ravine
that bisected one of the lots. After an initial sketch, which
Johnson estimates took five minutes, was faxed to Sullivan,
the architect had acquired a new client.
Johnson finally met Sullivan when he flew out to New York.
Once contracts were signed, Johnson set out to find a local
contractor: "It was important for me to locate a contractor
who worked on commercial buildings. A residential builder
would have been the wrong choice since I would need somebody
with experience in large-beam construction." This unusual
methodology in residential construction became a social event
for the nearby small town. The large-scale glulam beams were
transported by truck and a crowd of people followed it to
its destination. Another crowd formed when the crane, which
would help with placement of the beams, was also brought through
town. Johnson recalls, "People would hang out and watch
the erection of the frame." The frame and trusses were
in place within two days.
Extreme weather conditions in upstate New York was a factor
to be taken into account in the house’s construction.
Johnson considered the challenge and even refers to the finished
product as "over insulated." In both the ceiling
and the floor, he utilized deep trusses. The architect specified
a rubber roof. "With its internal roof drains and the
fact that it’s sealed at every joint and is fused together,
the roof, which will last a minimum of twenty years, is not
going to leak," he states. The common heavy snowfalls
to the area were an added boon to Johnson’s plan. The
wood beams are able to capture snow and, in turn, become added
insulation. Also, ideal to the harsh winters, an in-floor
radiant heat system was added.
The elongated 2,700-square-foot house features two-bedrooms
and a large open space that combines the kitchen, a dining
space, and a living area. Johnson chose bamboo flooring for
its ability to bring in color and texture with a minimum of
grain pattern.
The client requested a wood-burning stove; Johnson gave him
two. The steel fireplaces lend a sculptural focal point in
both the main bedroom and the living space. "These fireplaces
are one-off sculpted pieces from France," he describes,
"There’s a three-month lead time for these pieces
and they’re worth the wait."
The bridge-like house was built in a subdivision made up
of one-acre lots, but even with its almost entirely glazed
north and south façades and no window coverings, privacy
is not a concern. The southern side looks out onto the river
below and if one were to look up to the house, the angle allows
no visual intrusion. The north side, where the kitchen is
located, is, Johnson describes, "thick with greenery.
Even in the winter you’re unable to see in because it
becomes a thicket of branches."
By Randi Greenberg
Gross square
footage
2,780 sq. ft.
View
complete specs
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