T-House, located in Wilton, NY, is a country retreat commissioned by an aspiring author who desired a space to house his extensive collection of 10,000 books. Designed by Ungers and his partner Tom Kinslow, the retreat features a unique cross-bar design with the library occupying the entire top floor, a fitting tribute to the owner’s passion for literature. The location is approximately three hours north of New York City.
T-House Technical Information
- Architects1-3: Simon Ungers + Thomas Kinslow
- Location: Wilton, New York, USA
- Topics: Modular Architecture, Cor-ten Steel, Primitive Shapes
- Project Year: 1988 – 1995
- Photographs: © Eduard Hueber & Lydia Gould from archphoto.com
The configuration of the building is an interpretation of the client’s functional requirements, incorporating the site’s topography. The required separation of living and working areas is translated into two linear spaces stacked vertically and perpendicular to each other, connected by a square transition (entry) space. Access occurs on top of the partially buried residence at the center of the building.
T-House Photographs
Text by the Architects
The T-House is a residence and library, accommodating over 10,000 volumes for a writer. The client’s primary functional request was a clear distinction between living (home) and working (library) areas. Utilitarian components, such as kitchens and bathrooms, were to be kept to a minimum of square footage.
The client imposed no formal or material guidelines or constraints. The site is a forty-acre property located in upstate New York, three hours north of New York City. The building itself is situated adjacent to a former sand excavation pit. The topography is, therefore, partially artificial. The site’s slope is towards the south, offering a view of the Berkshire Mountains. The residential part of the building is oriented east-west; the library is north-south. The site is densely wooded on the west side of the building and clear on the east side.
The configuration of the building is an interpretation of the client’s functional requirements, incorporating the site’s topography. The required separation of living and working areas is translated into two linear spaces stacked vertically and perpendicular to each other, connected by a square transition (entry) space. Access occurs on top of the partially buried residence at the center of the building.
The library is a double-story space. The accommodation of both a view and bookshelves is critical to the library’s design. This condition is solved by vertically separating the reading/working area from the shelving. The shelving system is conceived as an independent steel structure, including a wrap-around mezzanine, suspended from the ceiling, creating a column-free reading/working space. Repetitive eight-foot high openings at two-foot intervals surround the entire reading/working area, providing a segmented panoramic view.
T House Construction Photographs
In contrast to the vertical character of the library, the residential space is horizontal. It consists of one space with separate areas (dining, living, sleeping) defined by core elements (kitchen, chimney, bathroom) independent of the enclosure; essentially a linear, symmetrical free plan. To further articulate the difference between the two main spaces, the fenestration of the residence is conceptually and spatially the reverse of the library.
The library is the residence upside-down, and vice versa. An internal shutter system controls the light in both spaces. The shutters are part of a two-foot modular panel system, creating a continuous, uninterrupted interior when shut. The exterior shell is a steel-frame construction with a 1/4 inch weathering steel plate, seam welded, and ground. Because the thickness of the steel plate contributes to the structural integrity of the building, relatively light steel channels were used for the frame. The entire steel shell is vented to avoid oxidation and eventual corrosion. The shell was prefabricated in six parts at a local factory.
It was then delivered to the site on flatbed trucks and assembled on top of a concrete foundation. The final welding and grinding were done on-site. The dimensional accuracy (zero tolerance) of the six parts and the sharpness of all corners were highly critical to the construction. The tensile strength of steel allows the 19-foot cantilevers of the library and the suspended mezzanine.
Because the shell requires no expansion joints, a homogenous, maintenance-free surface is achieved, contributing to the monolithic appearance of the building. The construction of the shell is similar to that of a ship’s hull. The interior is a wood frame with 3/4-inch plywood veneer panels (tongue and groove). Because of the different expansion rates of wood and steel, the wood frame is structurally independent of the steel frame. The panels are separated by a 1/4-inch joint and screwed to the wood frame. As opposed to the exterior, the interior deliberately emphasizes the construction.
The library shelving, mezzanine, stairs, and windows are all black enamel steel. Steel grating was used for the shelving, mezzanine, and stairs to create maximum visual transparency. The kitchen and bathroom fixtures are stainless steel components from prison and commercial supplies.
T House Plans
T-House Image Gallery
About Simon Ungers
Simon Ungers was born in 1957 in Cologne, the son of the architect Oswald Mathias Ungers and Liselotte Gable. In 1969, his family moved to the United States. From 1975 to 1980, he studied architecture at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.
Ungers worked in New York and Cologne. He gained attention with Tom Kinslow for constructing T-House, a home made of Cor-ten in Wilton, New York. He also designed the Cube House in Ithaca, New York.
In 1995, he was one of two first-prize winners in a competition to design the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin, but his design was not selected in a tie-breaker vote. Later neither of the two winning designs was chosen, but a new competition was held.
Ungers taught at Harvard University, Syracuse University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Cornell University, and the University of Maryland, College Park.
- Collaborators: T. Ogorzaleck,
- Engineers: Ryan & Biggs Associates
- Contractor: STS Inc., Regenerative Building Construction
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Can i get the original plan & section that reveals actual measurements visibly?? I will be very thankful.
Hello Park,
Thank you for your interest in ArchEyes.
At present, the version available is the one featured in the article. For optimal viewing, I recommend opening the image in a new tab. Make sure to zoom in before saving it, to ensure you capture it in its largest available size.
At first glance, they seem more like a house from the movies but by looking at the details of the design – it is clear that every bit is nuanced and functional.
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts. It’s great to hear that you appreciate the design details of the house. Simon Ungers and Thomas Kinslow are known for their focus on both aesthetics and functionality which is evident in the T-House. We couldn’t agree more that the T-House is a great example of the perfect balance between form and function.