BUTTERFLY STUDIO

VALERIE SCHWEITZER ARCHITECTS

U.S.

PROJECT DETAILS:

Built in 2007 by All Phase Construction, Bridgeport, Ct, USA. Materials: Douglas fir wood framing, steel columns, and beams, low-e-double pane glass, stucco-cladding with trowel-finish, teak wood cladding, new and recycled. Poured concrete floor with electric (snow-melting) radiant heat; custom windows with aluminum frames both fixed and operable; custom skylight with aluminum frame. HVAC: Mitsubishi split-air heating and cooling Landscape by architect: Colorado blue spruce and azaleas Zoning limitations for ancillary structure: 350 square feet floor plan; 17 feet max. height to the midpoint of the highest ridge

KNOW MORE ABOUT THE DESIGNERS:

Inspired in part by the closing of a butterfly’s wings and other organic forms, this 350 square-foot art studio and private office for a family home in Westport, Connecticut, provides a serene refuge.

Like shards protruding from the earth, the studio’s angled panels clad in stucco and recycled teak, impart a primitive and futuristic quality at the same time. The structure exploits the potential of glass, wood and steel.

The expansive skylight of steel and thermally-insulated glass eliminates the need for day-lighting, even for an artist. It also creates an airiness despite the confined floor plate. Efficiency is furthered by the sealed poured concrete floor that contains radiant heat piping; one may roll a work desk on wheels throughout the space.