Darren Petrucci Architect
Post By:Kitticoon Poopong
Photo © Bill Timmerman
Darren Petrucci reinvents the vacation guesthouse with the VH R-10 ghouse on Martha's Vineyard.
Restrictive zoning, rather than necessity, is often the mother of architectural invention. Made to withstand the harsh winters of Martha’s Vineyard while treading lightly on the island, the VH R-10 gHouse, designed by architect Darren Petrucci, AIA, was so profoundly shaped by local restrictions that it adopted the zoning district—R-10—as part of its name.
Photo © Bill Timmerman
A driveway is made of the same bluestone gravel and concrete used on the oriented-strandboard-patterned foundation
Even though Martha’s Vineyard was originally (and still is) home to the Wampanoag Indians, it put itself on the map in the 19th century during the rise of the whaling industry. Today, the island is best known for its pristine beaches and quaint New England villages, and has firmly established itself as a summer colony and magnet for the rich and famous. Petrucci and his wife, Renata Hejduk, an assistant professor of architectural history and theory at Arizona State University, in Tempe (and daughter of the late John Hejduk), were drawn to the Vineyard for the same reasons that have attracted other vacationers. The couple, who spend most of their time in the Phoenix area, were not interested in a beach house or isolated retreat, however. Petrucci, the director of Arizona State University’s School of Architecture + Landscape Architecture, where he also runs a research and design lab that focuses on urban amenities and infrastructures, hoped to build a high-performance prototype house incorporating contemporary building techniques within walking distance of one of the island’s towns. When he and his wife learned of a lot for sale on the outskirts of Vineyard Haven, a community of traditional 19th- to mid-20th-century wood-shingled buildings, they jumped on the rare find. 
Photo © Bill Timmerman
Compact and spare, the VH R-10 gHouse, created by the architect for himself and his wife, is full of personal touches. Drawings, photos, and a table by the late architect John Hejduk are visible through the window.
The gently sloping corner property was appealing on a number of counts. At 12,518 square feet, it just met the zoning requirement to legally accommodate both a main house and a guesthouse. With economy and the future value of the lot in mind, the couple opted to build a guesthouse first, reserving the right to build a larger main house later. However, local zoning restrictions are rigid: Guesthouses in the district, for example, may encompass no more than 600 square feet, their height may not exceed 24 feet, and a particularly ornery clause stipulates that the basement may not be accessed from the building’s interior. 
Photo © Bill Timmerman
Rain-screen panels on the lower front facade slide on a cannonball track, allowing the owners to increase shading or privacy as desired. To maximize the allowable envelope, Petrucci drew a 16-by-40-by-24-foot box based on a 4-foot construction module. Structurally insulated panels (SIPs) enclose three staggered, rectilinear volumes for cooking, living, and sleeping. Though the center volume is shifted out 4 feet to accommodate an exterior stair, a mahogany rain screen unifies the volumes, enveloping the stair and blurring the line between outside and in. The program called for a kitchen, living area, and master bedroom on the main level. The small loft and spacious lower-level guest suite do not count toward the square footage allotted by zoning so, cleverly, 600 technical square feet become 1,000 square feet of livable space. A raised deck, accessed by the exterior stair, creates a secluded aerie in the tree canopy.
Photo © Bill Timmerman
The front entrance is seen here behind a closed screen. 
Photo © Bill Timmerman
The stairway leads down to the lower level and up to the roof deck. 
Photo © Bill Timmerman
For the bedroom ceiling, the architect photographed the shadow of an old maple tree in the yard, converted it to a digital drawing, and had the pattern laser cut out of medium-density fiberboard. 
Photo © Bill Timmerman
The loft/study is accessed by a ladder from the living room. 
Photo © Bill Timmerman
The rain screen shields structurally insulated panels, which are sheathed in EPDM. 
Photo © Bill Timmerman
No fasteners are visible, lending the house a furniture like quality. An exterior stair leads up to a crows' nestlike roof deck nestled in the tree canopy. 
Photo © Bill Timmerman
A crows' nestlike roof deck nestled in the tree canopy. 
Photo © Bill Timmerman
Succulents cover the green roof. 
Image courtesy Darren Petrucci Architect
Image courtesy Darren Petrucci Architect
Image courtesy Darren Petrucci Architect
Image courtesy Darren Petrucci Architect
Image courtesy Darren Petrucci Architect
the PeopleArchitect:Darren Petrucci, AIA. 8604 E. Via de Los Libros Scottsdale, AZ 85258 Engineer(s): Sourati Engineering Group Consultant(s): Landscape: Renata Hejduk General contractor: Darren Petrucci Presentation drawings for Web publication: Philip Horton Photographer: Bill Timmerman (602)420-9325 CAD system, project management, or other software used: ArchiCAD (BIM software) | the ProductsStructural system:SIP’s panels: Insulspan, Installation by Panel Pro, New Hampshire. Concrete Foundation + Retaining walls: Advantec formed CIP Concrete, David Knauf Construction Exterior cladding: Wood: Penofin Stain mixed with Black Rustoleum paint on FSC certified Mahogany, Fabrication-Don Keller, Scott Elsasser. Wall Weather Membrane: EPDM rubber roofing Roofing: EPDM rubber roofing Green Roof: Green Grid Windows: Mahogany: Will Parry Custom Windows+Doors, Martha’s Vineyard, Mass. Aluminum: Architectural Glazing, Mass. Glazing: Glass: Falmouth Glass (all glass is 1”IGU) Doors: Entrances: Will Parry Custom Windows+Doors Aluminum Doors: Architectural Glazing, Mass. Wood doors: Will Parry Custom Windows+Doors Hardware: Locksets: Baldwin Interior finishes: Cabinetwork and custom woodwork: Luxor Cabinets, Canada Paints and stains: Pratt&Lambert Interior paint. Penofin Stain mixed with Black Rustoleum paint interior woodwork Counters; 1/8” Stainless Steel Travertine tile in Bathrooms – MV Tile Co. Resilient flooring: Expanko Cork Flooring Furnishings: Eames fiberglass dining chairs, Modernica. Lounge Chairs: BluDot “buttercup” lounge chairs. Club Chair: Ben Thompson design, Charles Webb club chair. Dining Table: John Hejduk designed Coffee Table: Noguchi Walnut coffee table. Custom Bookcase: Carpentry Scott Elsasser. Couch: “Sleeper”, designed by Niels Bendtsen for Bensen. Beds: “Hotrod” by BluDot Lighting: Downlights: Lightolier 4” recessed cans Task lighting: Lightolier track lights Exterior: RAB flood Lights Controls: Lightolier scene controlers Plumbing: Radient floors: Lowe Energy Design Plumbing: Wirsbo Aquapex Boiler: On-demand, Baxi Luna Bath fixtures: Kohler, stillness Kitchen Faucet: Hans Grohe Air Exchange: Passive Indoor/outdoor Air Ventilators: Lijengrens, Sweeden. > Additional subcontractors: CIP Concrete David Knauf Construction Exterior Cladding + Wood Work: Don Keller & Scott Elsasser Wood Windows: Will Parry Custom Windows+Doors SIP’s panels: Insulspan, Installation by Panel Pro Environmental Systems: Lowe Energy Design |
via:ardhrecord--By Beth Broome
