shake house is named for its cladding, cedar shakes, which embody this project’s message: build to change and improve with time. working within the tight zoning restrictions of new york’s recent city of yes zoning resolution, shake house leverages certain rules which allow it to one day exceed the current livable square footage limit of 800 square feet.

taking inspiration from the now-enclosed sleeping porches of new england, shake house is sited beside and offset from the exisiting garage pad to allow for an additional ten feet of building height and to frame covered outdoor areas that one day may be used as living space.

shake house looks to the history of the site both to justify its design language, and to position it as a next step in the development in a new york city semi-urban plot. rather than existing as a static design solution, shake house ensures its permanence by allowing it to change with the law.