XS House / UNI

Sep 2009

By Nico Saieh — Filed under: Houses , Selected , UNI, USA, Wood

Architects: UNI / Chaewon Kim + Beat Schenk
Location: Cambridge, MA, USA
Constructed Area: 102.2 sqm
Project Year: 2006
Photographs: UNI

The final piece to the residential compound, XSmall, what the hell is this is, three rotated 16-by-22-foot boxes with four-corner-skylights, giving rooms natural light with minimum windows and maximum privacy, something that is all too important when there are four houses on just two lots, especially when the designs draw as much attention as they do.

diagrams

The house is finished in marine plywood, usually used in boat-building. The grain is broad and pronounced, creating the appearance of a huge piece of furniture. Each floor of XS has a different look and feel (marble on the first floor, oak plywood on the second), but all are connected by a pared-down wooden staircase that threads through the space.

: diagrams

39 comments »

Bronson says:

A very interesting concept, but the overall result is one that I could definitely live with.

# September 21, 2009 at 13:07

big c says:

hell dardy ayy boys

# September 22, 2009 at 04:45

oded says:

sanaa?

# September 21, 2009 at 14:47

oscar falcón lara says:

I like the idea of twisting the blocks in order to create skylights, but further than that it becomes a very visual/sculptural piece, dynamic and quite interesting. The interior has a very homely quality to it, specially the kitchen area. Very nice project.

# September 21, 2009 at 15:29

Arkinauta says:

A funny video about this house and the interview with the architects:

http://arkinauta.blogspot.com/2008/07/uni-xs-o-la-casa-de-contrachapado.html

# September 21, 2009 at 16:09

alejandro says:

It has cool livable interiors! But it lacks a good relationship between itself and its context. This is basically your average ugly neighborhood plus two weird contemporary architect boxes. I don´t agree in that they have a sculptural quality to them, they are both boring even if one is twisted and the other one is dark. Perhaps it´s the context fault, in such place architecture has a difficult almost impossible task to achieve.

# September 21, 2009 at 17:29

theChavacano says:

Simple, interesting, pretty and I wanna live there

# September 21, 2009 at 18:02

Tim R says:

You gotta love the first diagram on this page with the Jenga and Lego blocks!

# September 21, 2009 at 18:06

jr says:

obsolete idea..
http://www.dezeen.com/2009/07/31/house-in-minamimachi-by-suppose-design-office/

# September 21, 2009 at 23:12

richie says:

nice, nice and nice.

# September 21, 2009 at 23:23

Ala says:

The execution is really bad. The interior spaces are dry and dull (may be because of the bad photographs that has no view towards outside). Those terrible photographs render the interior as a prison cell. Suppose-Design-Office’s house is way much better; airy and delightful.

# September 22, 2009 at 00:04

mukesh says:

I like the idea of twisting the blocks in order to create skylights *****

# September 22, 2009 at 03:34

s says:

So do I

# September 22, 2009 at 22:47

Vitsee says:

This is excellent – the wee patch of light that illuminates the corner is beauitiful.

# September 22, 2009 at 03:47

vladimir zotov says:

it’s looks like the books on the table. very nice.

# September 22, 2009 at 04:02

Shropshire Architect says:

The impression of movement from the exterior and the staircase is great.

# September 22, 2009 at 04:03

fran says:

Details details …! We all know where the devil is !

# September 22, 2009 at 07:00

i really like what happens whit the projection of the shadows of the street tree on the facade.

# September 22, 2009 at 07:03

and from the inside , the projection of sun light trough this triangular skylight on the floor. I would like to see the travel of this triangle during the year according to the sun.

# September 22, 2009 at 07:10

C.P.T.L. says:

The blocks angled to create skylights is an excellent idea and I second all the other positive comments made. It is a unique and refreshing departure from the usual forms.

But those walls upon walls with no windows! Difficulty about the sightlines and privacy do not make skylights admitting light a substitute for windows offering a view, whatever the view. There have been other solutions to that problem, for instance, situating long, narrow, wall-wide windows up high. To avoid that solution suggests adherence to the integrity of the design without compromise.

Call it my bias if you will, but it seems a bit too prison-like. I can easily envision the occupant becoming stir-crazy during the long months of winter, or, just the same, cut off from those many Spring, Summer and Fall opportunities to throw open the windows.

I’ve lived in such a situation: one is either completely ‘in’ or completely ‘out,’ with an inadequate sense of the outdoors while inside. It amounted to an enervating tension ‘built in’ to the structure.

To be fair, they allude to necessary extremes in the description. It is a small place. There are many people who don’t give a fig for the outdoors. Cambridge Massachusetts is largely claustrophobic and noisy.

But to not have a choice seems unfortunate, and to not be able to immediately see the state of the weather an acceptance of the site limitations without putting up enough of a fight.

# September 22, 2009 at 11:22

There are windows. Have a look the pictures.

# September 22, 2009 at 22:51

sam says: