OS House in Racine, Washington, USA by Johnsen Schmaling Architects

Article source: Johnsen Schmaling Architects

Located in an old downtown neighborhood in Racine, Wisconsin, this house for a young family demonstrates how a small, sustainable residence built with a moderate budget can fit into a rust belt city suffering from decades of economic decline.

Image Courtesy Johnsen Schmaling Architects

• Architects: Johnsen Schmaling Architects
• Project: OS House
• Location: 1761 South Main Street, Racine, Washington  53403, USA
• Project Owner: Robert Osborne and Vera Scekic
• Project Completion Date: March, 2010
• Project Site: Previously Undeveloped Land
• Project Type: Residential – Single-Family attached
• Project Site Context/Setting: Urban
• Building Gross Floor Area: 1,940 square feet
• Other Building Description: New

Image Courtesy Johnsen Schmaling Architects

One of the first LEED Platinum homes in the Upper Midwest, the house occupies a narrow infill lot along the edge of Lake Michigan, completing a row of residences built over the last century.

Image Courtesy Johnsen Schmaling Architects

Based on massing studies testing the building’s performance in relation to site constraints, solar exposure, and vegetation, the building is a simple rectangular volume with a series of outdoor rooms—an entry court, elevated patios, and a main-level terrace—all confined within the boundaries of the rectangular volume itself.

Image Courtesy Johnsen Schmaling Architects

The main level’s transparency allows for a visual link between the street and the lake, while the upper rainscreen system creates a deep, ventilated envelope with superior performance. Along the edges of the outdoor rooms, the façade transforms into a delicate scrim of aluminum rods, defining spatial boundaries without obstructing views.

Image Courtesy Johnsen Schmaling Architects

Image Courtesy Johnsen Schmaling Architects

Image Courtesy Johnsen Schmaling Architects

Image Courtesy Johnsen Schmaling Architects

Image Courtesy Johnsen Schmaling Architects

Image Courtesy Johnsen Schmaling Architects

Image Courtesy Johnsen Schmaling Architects

Image Courtesy Johnsen Schmaling Architects

Image Courtesy Johnsen Schmaling Architects

Image Courtesy Johnsen Schmaling Architects

Tags: Racine, USA, Washington

Categories: House, Residential

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