House for a Stonemason
Undergraduate Project
Undergraduate Project
An undergraduate project to design a house for a stonemason.
Taking influence from a story about Michelangelo’s David and how he downplayed the accomplishment of his sculpture by suggesting that the sculpture was always there – he just removed the excess marble to reveal it – I aimed to make use of the subtractive nature of stonemasonry and let it inform the typically additive process of architecture.
The house is made from in-situ concrete with the formwork being constructed in its entirety before pouring. For a brief period then, this structure occupies the space where there will be no house – the spaces in between the walls, where there is no hard matter but where the real house actually exists. After pouring, the formwork is reused around the house for flooring, shelving, and other areas where a softer finish is required.
Taking influence from a story about Michelangelo’s David and how he downplayed the accomplishment of his sculpture by suggesting that the sculpture was always there – he just removed the excess marble to reveal it – I aimed to make use of the subtractive nature of stonemasonry and let it inform the typically additive process of architecture.
The house is made from in-situ concrete with the formwork being constructed in its entirety before pouring. For a brief period then, this structure occupies the space where there will be no house – the spaces in between the walls, where there is no hard matter but where the real house actually exists. After pouring, the formwork is reused around the house for flooring, shelving, and other areas where a softer finish is required.
