Aerial view of the converted sawmill set in dense Massachusetts woodland
Aerial view of the long gabled sawmill building in a clearing among the trees
Timber clad house with a green metal gable roof and a fully glazed gable end
Aerial view of the sawmill roof carrying solar panels above the timber elevation
Timber board clad elevation with a single flush window in deep winter snow
Empty interior with exposed timber posts, pitched ceiling and windows onto the woods
Double-height living space under an exposed pitched roof with a glazed gable wall
Brick chimney breast with a black wood burning stove on a microcement floor
Living room with grand piano beneath the exposed timber trusses of the old sawmill
Open living area with timber floor, bookshelves and trusses spanning the pitched roof
Bedroom under a timber lined pitched ceiling with windows facing the surrounding trees

– Project: Residential

The sawmill

The project is the conversion of a former sawmill into a residence for a young photographer who wanted an architecturally interesting home.

The Sawmill refurbishment presented an opportunity to work with a client whose own aspirations, on low impact environmental design, matched our own. Reused and locally sourced materials, renewable energy systems and long-life products helped to reduce the embodied carbon footprint of this construction.

The volume of the old sawmill was the starting point for the entire project, as we intended to preserve its shape and its gable roof, which are perfectly integrated into the woods.

It is designed to connect the variety of outdoor spaces with large glass openings, helping to make the rooms feel larger and brighter while providing different experiences throughout the building as a consequence of the nature surrounding the building.

The facades replicate the geometry of the original construction, respecting its industrial creation and the use of the generous windows allow new visual relations with the exterior, creating unexpected frameworks with the limits of the original construction.

Internally, the house features a double-height living space that extends all the way up to the exposed pitched ceiling.

Both the exterior and the interior features a minimal material palette, with surfaces including the microcement floors, limestone countertops and mainly the use of the locally sourced wood both for the floor, cladding and wooden joinery to add textural details throughout.

Solar panels were added to allow the building to be self sustainable.

Concept

Long elevation drawing of the sawmill showing the gable end and green roof
Long section drawing through the sawmill showing the double-height living space
The original open timber-framed sawmill with its green roof before conversion
Interior of the open sawmill shed with heavy timber trusses and milling machinery
View through the open sawmill structure to the surrounding woodland before works
Concrete slab and open timber frame of the sawmill with two people seated on the wall
Detail of the sawmill's heavy timber roof truss framing a view into the woodland

Data

Appointed

2021

Appointment

Stage 0 to Stage 4

Area

325 sqm

Location

Massachusetts US

Photography

From the Journal

Green-lit glass-walled living space set in a brick courtyard, seen through sliding doors at night.
What It Really Takes to Extend a Period House in London
Outdoor dining area with a glass table and cushioned chairs under a terracotta veranda, overlooking mountains and trees in the distance.",
Renovating a House in Tuscany: What to Expect
Pair of antique wooden folding doors with geometric lattice panels, opened to reveal a kitchen with light wood cabinetry behind.
What We Keep: Retaining Character in a Period Home