Butterfly Studio in Westport, Connecticut by Valerie Schweitzer Architects

Article source: v2com

Inspired in part by the closing of a butterfly’s wings and other organic forms, this 350 square-foot art studio and private office for a family home in Westport, Connecticut, provides a serene refuge.

A fortress-like backyard studio, Image Courtesy © Tom Leighton

• Architects: Valerie Schweitzer Architects
• Project: Butterfly Studio
• Location: Westport, Connecticut, USA
• Photography: Tom Leighton, Paul Bartholomeuw
• Software used: Hand-made sketches and built models
  
• HVAC: Mitsubishi split-air heating and cooling
  
• Landscape by Architect: Colorado blue spruce and azaleas
  
• Zoning limitations for ancillary structure: 350 square feet
  
• Built In: 2007 by All Phase Construction, Bridgeport, Ct, USA.
  
• Floor plan: 17 feet max. height to the midpoint of the highest ridge
  

A lantern-like glow at night, Image Courtesy © Paul Bartholomeuw

Like shards protruding from the earth, the studio’s angled panels clad in stucco and recycled teak, impart a primitive and futuristic quality at the same time. The structure exploits the potential of glass, wood and steel.

Inspired by nature and early fort-like European castles, Image Courtesy © Tom Leighton

Winner of the American Architecture Prize in small architecture, 2017, Image Courtesy © Tom Leighton

The expansive skylight of steel and thermally-insulated glass eliminates the need for day-lighting, even for an artist. It also creates an airiness despite the confined floor plate. Efficiency is furthered by the sealed poured concrete floor that contains radiant heat piping; one may roll a work desk on wheels throughout the space.

Inspired in part by the closing of a butterfly’s wing, Image Courtesy © Paul Bartholomeuw

Image Courtesy © Paul Bartholomeuw

Due to the skylight and narrow windows, there is a strong sense of privacy and being hidden from the rest of the world. The view of changing skies and light create an optimal space for intermittent reflection during artistic production.

Cross-ventilation is achieved by carefully placed windows that capture breezes off the proximate Long Island Sound. A half-bath is included.

The studio’s angles complement those of the main house, Image Courtesy © Tom Leighton

Image Courtesy © Tom Leighton

Plentiful and even day lighting ideal for office and studio, Image Courtesy © Tom Leighton

Elevation shows the linkage of stucco and wood panels, Image Courtesy © Valerie Schweitzer Architects

Tags: Connecticut, USA

Category: Studio

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