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Babylon
By : Vosjes Architecture
GRANDS PRIX DU DESIGN – 17th edition
Discipline : Architecture : Grand Winner
Categories : Residential Building / Private House ≤ 2 000 pi2 (≤ 185 m2) : Platinum Winner
Babylon is a rammed earth residence by Vosjes Architecture, inspired by the surrounding limestone ledges of Prince Edward County. This minimal home was designed as a restful retreat offering connection to the remote and wild landscape of its location, close to Lake Ontario.
Rammed earth construction is an ancient method of building using compacted subsoil. Vosjes Architecture collaborated with local rammed earth contractor Aerecura Sustainable Builders from concept design to completion for all exterior and interior loadbearing walls to create a new vernacular for rammed earth projects in Ontario. Integral to this project, was the use of limestone subsoil sourced from a quarry fifteen minutes down the road. The monolithic and textural walls are composed of two compacted layers with polyiso insulation in the center, offering significant thermal mass to reduce heating and cooling costs. The choice of calming, natural-grey subsoil was intentional, despite many options for colour additives or tints, to ensure the striking appearance of this home remained a true expression of the surrounding landscape.
Great importance was given to selecting long-lasting and locally sourced materials, while passive design principles informed the orientation and placement of the structure due south, with primary living spaces receiving maximum exposure to natural light. Clear sightlines to the exterior are provided throughout the home via a fully glazed south façade of large lift-and-slide doors. This fenestration is cleverly positioned inbound of the thick exterior walls to allow for summer shading via the insulated metal panel roof above. To further the allegoric use of raw material, the underside of the roof panelling was left exposed and painted a soft black tone that offers warmth and contrast to the earthen walls. Poured concrete floors with hydronic heating throughout and microcement wall finishes in the bathrooms provide durability for the client’s active lifestyle and furry companions.
The interior layout, featuring bespoke floor-to-ceiling millwork, offers functionality and privacy in an efficient plan. The communal living space is flanked by the primary bedroom and ensuite to the west, with main entry, guest bathroom, and additional bedrooms to the east. The kitchen features seamless, bookmatched floating cabinetry before a fourteen foot wide sliding door, which can be opened for visual connection and pass-through when entertaining outdoors. Wall-mounted panels, sourced from local felled ash trees, conceal additional kitchen storage and entry closet, between which the guest bathroom is discreetly positioned.
Outside, the horizontal lines of the carport frame the entry court, while an ash pergola denotes the north entrance. The carport offers a protected multipurpose space with the storage required for many outdoor activities enjoyed in this rural lakeside setting, including surfing and dirt biking. Gardens of seasonal grasses and Japanese maple envelope the house, while a raised wood platform for lounging provides an intimate peripheral space next to the south-facing patio.
With its devotion to locally sourced resources and meticulous attention to detail, Babylon is more than a home; it stands as a monument to the marriage of natural materials and skilled human hand.
Collaboration
