Matthew Millman
The opportunity to research, design and test ideas was the impet…
David Baker Architects is renowned for doing sustainable and award-winning affordable housing projects in one of the country’s most expensive metropolitan areas. So when the firm’s founder and namesake designed his own single-family dwelling, it’s no surprise that he aimed for a net zero structure that our jury regarded as “pretty great,” with “excellent material usage” and “thoughtful design moves” as well as being “exuberant but not overwhelming.” One juror concluded that Baker “did a lot with a small square footage.”
It’s also not surprising that Baker found the prospect of having to create his home within the confines of 30-foot-tall concrete walls leftover from the existing stable an exciting opportunity rather than a limitation. The architect describes his house as a micro high-rise. Three stories encompass 1,142 square feet of interior space within a 26-foot-deep-by-20-foot-wide footprint. Baker adds that this was and continues to be an architectural lab where he can test design and construction ideas. “When you’re doing multifamily, you can’t get too different,” Baker explains, “so this was an option to experiment with things that I can’t do with a client.”
Using natural, raw, mostly salvaged materials without any paint or artificial finishes anywhere in the house; having no interiors doors at all—not even for the bathroom—to let light permeate every corner of the compact layout; and creating a clip system for the shingled exterior that allows a single shingle to be replaced with a hanging planter or the gridded pattern of rusted metal and mirrored glass squares to be rearranged into a completely new façade in minutes are just a few of the creative ideas being fleshed out. However, Baker knows better than to throw every idea he has into the house. “You don’t want to be so creative that you can’t live your life,” he says. “The reason it doesn’t overwhelm is that we stuck with a limited palette of restrained materials.”
In addition to all of these architectural contemplations was the mandate that the building produce more energy than it consumed. Baker used Passive House certification requirements and a cantilevered solar awning with double-sided collectors to affordably achieve his net zero goal. According to the project’s modeling estimates, the photovoltaic system would generate 3,876 kWh of energy per year. This amount was expected to surpass projected demand by more than 860 kWh each year. Actual energy production in 2013 exceeded these projections by 22 percent, with more than 5,500 kWh generated that year.
Along with all of the experimentation, Baker still focused on artistic spaces. The house was built behind an existing carriage house, so the entry sequence requires walking through a tunnel adorned with a painting by local muralist Andrew Schoultz. Occupants and guests then come out into a bright courtyard and see the playful metal and mirror shingled façade. Baker says his approach for his house is the same for all projects and conveys the spirit of his firm: “The integration of the practical and beautiful was central to the design.”
On Site David Baker wanted a rainscreen and shingles that he can swap on a whim. To get both, the architect worked with his team to design, prototype, and manufacturer a solution. “The mirrored or metal shingles—cut from scrap—easily slide into a clip system and I can play with it endlessly,” Baker says. “I want everything gridded and perfect, and this system allows for that as well as flexibility.”
