RES4 Dwell Home

Exterior view of backyard.
Photograph by Roger Davies, courtesy of the architect

Project details

• Project Name: The RES4 Dwell Home
• Project Type: Residential
• Principal Designer/s: Joseph Tanney, Robert Luntz
• Design Team: Michael MacDonald, Shawn Brown, Craig Kim, Jeff Strasser, Jerome Engelking, Catarina Ferreira
• Contractor/s: Mount Vernon Homes
• Manufacturer: Carolina Building Solutions
• Date of commencement of project: 2003
• Date of completion of project: 2004
• Location of site: Pittsboro, NC
• Site Area: 7 acres
• Built-up Area: 2042 sq feet

The Deck.
Photograph by Roger Davies, courtesy of the architect

The winning entry of the Dwell Home Design Invitational, The Dwell Home is situated on a hilly site among 7 wooded acres. The home takes full advantage of it's natural surroundings: bringing in the woodland views and natural light through plentiful windows, generously sized decks off the front and rear facades, and a roof deck with an outdoor fireplace.

With 2042 sq feet divided among five prefabricated modules, the home offers compact and efficient quarters made up of large open living spaces and cozy private enclaves.

Rear exterior view.
Photograph by Roger Davies, courtesy of the architect

Kitchen.
Photograph by Roger Davies, courtesy of the architect

To meet the necessity of creating a livable floor plan and a well-orchestrated flow of space, the ground floor is an open plan module containing a living room, dining area, and a kitchen that can be entirely open to the outside or enclosed by a curtain.

Sensitive to the clients' desire for more defined communal/private spaces, the private spaces are more compartmentalized, making up the second story volume of the home.

The master bedroom at one end of the volume looks out onto grove trees, and two bathrooms and a guest/office run along the same axis bound by bamboo flooring.

View from Living Room to Kitchen.
Photograph by Roger Davies, courtesy of the architect

Through the modes of prefabrication, the design of the home is able to respond exclusively to the location and immediate surroundings in terms of solar orientation and footprint, therefore maximizing the microclimates.

The construction process also leveraged the efficiency of wood framed modulars, where approximately 80% of the house was built in a factory.

By utilizing the opportunities available for off-site construction, the time required of crews on-site was significantly reduced, in turn minimizing the environmental impact on the local ecosystems, the waste that is typically deposited on or near the site, and the transport of crews and materials.

Room corner.
Photograph by Roger Davies, courtesy of the architect

The Dwell Home has become a precedent in demonstrating the superiority of choosing prefabricated building technology over site-built homes in terms of environmental factors, quality and efficiency of building, cost and speed of construction and design.

Photograph by Wes Milholder, courtesy of the architect

Credits

• Text: Resolution: 4 Architecture
• Photographs: Roger Davies, Wes Milholder