With this residential infill project, architects Rossetti + Wyss confronted the issue of whether to contrast or conform to the site of this residence. It was flanked by a pair of very rustic farm buildings. The architects addressed the dilemma with a design somewhere between modern and the vernacular by wrapping the new gable-roofed home in dark gray Carat R fiber-cement panels by Swisspearl. Its roof and walls almost appear to be a single element.

The panels are suitable for use on roofs with a minimum pitch of about 11 percent (six degrees), and are coated to resist UV light and weathering. In this project, snow guards are installed on the roof, and contribute a small linear dimensional accent to the plane. Window and door openings were proportioned with regard to the two standard sizes of the panels, 10 feet x 4 feet and 8 feet x 4 feet. And a slight reveal between wall panels is primarily an orthogonal pattern; in places where it angles upwards, it is a reflection of the house’s interior spaces.

To create a subtle variety in the facade, Rossetti + Wyss opted to manually grind the surface of each unit, adding a custom texture to the cladding. As the material is integrally colored, this treatment did not alter the hue of the walls or roof; the structure’s elemental form remains the focus of the design.