Designer:
Terry Boling, Architect

Info:
The loft is the first component of the renovation and addition to a bungalow in the suburbs of Cincinnati. The project is comprised of a bedroom and bath area connected to the main floor by a new light-well and stair to provide vertical circulation as well as to bring light into the core of the existing house.

All work was constructed by the architect with teams composed of present and former University of Cincinnati students.

The ease of construction afforded by wood was a determinant for constructing the shell using conventional post and beam and shear wall construction. The entire existing gable roof structure was removed and replaced with what is essentially a cement fiber board rain-screen clad box that sits on top of the existing first floor brick base. The post and beam structure allows for large expanses of shaded glass on the south facing façade, and generous cedar lined closets suspended between posts on the north face. The use of Oriented Strand Board panels as the sub-cladding of the rain screen shear walls allowed for the cement fiber board panels lining the interior walls to be screwed directly into the OSB, eliminating the need for exhaustive coordination of sub-structure alignments.

The sensual qualities of simple materials such as plywood were explored through a series of investigations focused on fabrication and re-assembly. ¾"Baltic birch plywood was cut into 1"wide strips and re-assembled by gluing and nailing as a stacked wall surrounding the bath area. Openings were left in the wall to allow for return air ventilation. The same plywood strips were assembled into sliding door panels with a 33% random opening pattern for the closets. The wood was then lightly sanded and waxed to achieve rich, horizontally striated wall surfaces, revealing beautiful laminations that would normally be concealed in construction.