Private Residence

Wanting to live in the city, but being unable to afford houses they were looking at, the owners hoped to build for less than they could afford to buy. Drawing on “utility” farm buildings the design of this house looks to simple, direct structures in its form and organization. Being located in a dense St. Paul neighborhood on a narrow 40’ wide lot it draws equally from its turn of the century neighbors for scale, and materials.

Typical city houses fill the lots from side to side. Here a goal was to improve the experience of the site. The “shotgun” structure - only 20’ wide - allowed the house to be pushed to the east.

Raising and retaining the ground on the west gave the house and outdoor room where normally you only have a narrow sidewalk between houses. Opening to the west with a series of windows the outdoors and afternoon sun is brought in all along the length of the house. The addition of the front porch pushed to the west recreates a proportion and wonderful feature found in the neighborhood and gives an experience of both the front and back yard.