The Beach House: A case study of vernacular-inspired architecture using modern materials

Each architectural style is intrinsically linked to a particular context, period or place. An illustrative example is the United States region, which was strongly influenced by the period of British colonialism in the Americas (17th-18th centuries). In this context, housing appeared that adopted a distinctive architectural language. Furthermore, the great distances between major cities in many regions of the country had a significant impact on the composition of local architecture, leading to the inclusion of barns and other structures serving various functions in addition to housing. This architectural style is characterized by its rectangular plan, two-story structures, gabled roofs, and wood cladding on the facade. These elements have been an integral part of the vernacular expression of homes since that time.

Speaking of gabled roofs specifically, they are the feature most closely associated with the traditional aesthetic of dwellings developed between the 17th and 19th centuries, as well as later dwellings. One example is Beachside House, a contemporary project documented in Swisspearl Architecture magazine. This settlement is located on the shore of Long Island Sound, which separates Connecticut from Long Island in New York. With its four gabled-roofed structures, clad in light-colored fiber cement panels, the building seeks to be an abstraction of New England vernacular architecture.

Identity and career approach

The overall concept proposed by Roger Ferris + Partners for this project was to preserve and reinterpret the distinctive features of Connecticut’s colonial dwellings and barns from centuries past. The aim was to create a contemporary building that reinterprets these vernacular elements. In its entirety, the Beachside project consists of four gable-roofed buildings: one larger and three smaller. All of these structures have zinc roofs, fiber cement panels, and glass walkways connecting each volume, and are of lower height.

Ferris+Partners explained to Swisspearl Architecture magazine that the Beachside floor plan is asymmetrical to give the impression that each volume unit was added to over time while appearing to recede away from the beach. Additionally, the composition of the floor plan resembles the models that inspired the project. The main entrance to the house from the north leads to a two-story glazed doorway and glimpses a thick interior wall with glass-free punched openings, corresponding to the traditional stripped windows set in the gable volumes.

As for the architectural programme, the main volume, located near the water, includes a large two-storey hall. On the other side, in the central area, are the kitchen and family room. On the ground floor, smaller volumes are devoted to a library, garage, mudroom, and other utilitarian spaces. On the upper floor, the bedrooms are distributed, with the master bedroom above the library and the garage covered by the guest bedroom and home office. In addition, outside the family room there is an outdoor dining area.

Balancing contemporary materials with timeless aesthetics

In this project, the relationship between shapes and materials is everything. Although the gabled roof and composition of the volumes are important gestures that evoke colonial architecture, materials play an essential role in expressing temporality in this project. Achieving this goal requires the use of materials and colors capable of capturing the essence of the project while responding to a new material goal.

If Beachside were an artisan farmhouse, its wall would be covered in wood panels made of oak or pine. However, in this case, light-coloured fiber cement boards were chosen to cover all elements of the complex. The Carat collection, with its naturally dried color and lightly dyed translucent finish, highlights the natural appearance of the material and its timeless aesthetics, giving the project a distinctive expression. At the same time, the use of 8mm thick Largo form provides buildings with a highly effective layer of protection against the external elements. It also adds uniqueness and character to the front, as the ivory 7099 color creates a contrast between the dark-coloured surfaces and the light-coloured body of each folder.

As Swiss Pearl magazine revealed, the entire house is covered in a fiber cement rainscreen system with vertical joints in a stepped pattern that is only visible when a person stands close to the house. These panels are carefully arranged in a brick pattern, which not only softens the clean lines of the building, but also introduces movement and further emphasizes its horizontal design. The panels are glued to aluminum Z sections securely fastened to a plywood sheathing. While using hidden fasteners, it should be noted that even exposed studs will remain hidden due to the way the boards overlap, just like traditional boards.

Although new architectural proposals constantly emerge that depart from traditional concepts, this project demonstrates how the identity of architecture can be reinterpreted and adapted with innovative design concepts that meet the contemporary needs of the industry. In this way, the essence of the buildings is preserved while taking advantage of the technical and aesthetic qualities of the new materials. This allows us to maintain traditional concepts while looking to the future, and even explore new applications in different contexts.

To learn more about Swisspearl Carat panels and the Largo form, as applied in other projects, visit Swisspearl Architecture magazine or refer to the product catalogue.