New Paltz House

The single-family residence originally designed by John Bloodgood in the '70’s was clad in T-111 siding with no insulation. It needed a new roof, better insulation and mechanical systems, new windows, and a make-over. The client requested to clad the upgraded house with materials that would require little-to-no maintenance. AlexAllen Studio proposed Shou-Sugi Ban wood siding in combination with a more cost-effective fiber-cement panel. Shou Sugi Ban utilizes an ancient Japanese technique of preserving wood by charring its surface. It is bug and rot resistant, weathers well over time, and requires very little maintenance. Similarly, the fiber-cement panels are weather resistant and sustainable and will never require any surface treatment or maintenance. AlexAllen Studio stripped the exterior and windows down to the studs to fully insulate the home and replaced the windows with triple-glazed windows. New siding acts as a rain screen, and elements such as sun-screens further protect the house and interior from the elements. The siding also reflects the interior spaces; the charred wood portion represents the main double-height living space in the interior, and a reveal running around the house at the second-floor level separates the wider cement panels at the base from the narrower cement panels above. The result is an aesthetic and performative upgrade that still maintains the integrity of the floor plan and interior spaces.