SHOTGUN HOUSE

LOCATION: Riverwest Neighborhood – Milwaukee, WI

STATUS: UNDER CONSTRUCTION -  Expected Completion Spring 2019

CONCEPT: With a dearth of available corner lots, the client and Ramsey Jones Architects conceived of this shotgun house with a linear courtyard on a narrow Riverwest lot.  The 16′ by 100′ footprint hugs tight to the north, fronting a series of room-sized exterior spaces along the southern exposure.  From the public covered front porch, to a private courtyard porch and sequentially through paved seating areas, flowering trees and towards the kitchen garden in the rear, the interior and exterior rooms parallel one another for the length of the parcel.

A second floor master suite brings this modestly size house into scale with the bungalows on the streetface, and lends a measure of privacy to the occupants.

This highly sustainable home starts with a narrow volume, allowing natural light and ventilation to easily sweep through the building.  Green roofs in front and back reduce stormwater runoff while solar hot water and photovoltaic panels will drive the hydronic concrete slab heating and electrical loads in the building.

Materials, as always, tend toward the natural with cedar butt joint siding, thermalized ash and A606 weathering steel in “back of house” areas.  High quality WI made triple pane windows, combined with SPF and continuous insulation create a tight, durable envelope while a mahogany entry and 16′ wide lift slide door declares a well appointed residence at the primary entries.