Highly insulated timber-clad home in New York

Long low lines of cedar cladding are held in place with striking and innovative stainless steel fixings which are a unique feature of this highly insulated home near the busy resort town of Long Island, New York.

Bates Masi Architects designed the house with acoustic considerations being the main driver of the form, materials, and detail of the house so as to shield the occupants of property from the noise from the bustling village nearby.

The home is highly insulated, with a wall assembly nearly twenty inches thick made from a poured concrete core, continuous from footing to roof, wrapped in insulating foam that also served as formwork during construction.

The resulting walls provide excellent thermal insulation and extremely low sound transmission. Due to the strength of their concrete cores, the walls act as structural beams, enabling them to span over the central living area of the house and the covered deck. 

The custom stainless steel clips that attach the wide cedar boards were designed to prolong the life of the timber cladding, which traditionally splits or loosens from the fastenings due to the natural expansion and contraction of wood constricted by the screws or nails tightly fixing it in place. The spring-like clips are able to hold the timber boards securely in place while still allowing the natural movement of the wood as it expands and contracts, enabling a much more durable, low-maintenance and long-lasting result.

Sustainable features