william o'brien jr: twins houses in five parts

‘twins: houses in five parts’ by william o’brien jr. located in upstate new york, usa images © peter guthrie

boston based practice william o’brien jr. has designed ‘twins: houses in five parts’, two single family residences located in upstate new york, USA. intended for two brothers, a pair of structures sharing similar geometric qualities are linked by a functional agricultural field. the internal volumes are the result of a study of the mathematical principle of ‘dissection’ in which polygons of equal areas may be divided into identical shapes. two sets composed of four varied trapezoids and one triangle containing parallel programmatic functions are arranged into a square and hexagonal plan configuration.

two homes separated by a linear agricultural plot

the floor and roof planes respond to immediate topographical shifts creating a varied sectional alignment connected with ramps and stairs. all water runoff is directed towards a linear plot which can be easily accessed by dwellers from both endpoints. the ribbon of land is planted with interwoven strips of berries, vegetables and wheat. continuous horizontal windows provide vistas of the surrounding forest and familial neighbor. visible exterior surfaces are coated with thick black stucco contrasting the monochromatic white interior.

hexagonal home

square home

volume lifted off the ground

window provides dwellers with views of the neighboring structure

vista of neighboring home and surrounding landscape

the triangular space is used as a screened in porch within the hexagonal home

the triangular space is used as an interior open air courtyard within the square home

site plan

floor plan / level 0 hexagonal home

floor plan / level 0 square home site section

sectional diagram

volumetric diagram

geometry study diagram

vegetation diagram