The Joy of Rick

Do you think [Joy’s] use of materials and building form are convincing?

Absolutely. As someone who grew up in New England, I see a great familiarity in this house. It responds not only to the environment and site but to the culture and history of the rural Northeast (both in form and material palette). I think it’s remarkable that Joy was able to create a visually ambitious space that looks & feels both modern and unique, while still paying obvious respect to it’s context.

I think it also speaks well to Rick Joy as a designer, that he was able to step so far outside his own ‘comfort zone’ of rammed earth, arid desert style in order to create a building that is appropriate more than distinctive. Personally, I find it takes a great amount of humility as an architect to be able to design something that intentionally doesn’t look like you designed it.

The only aspect of this house I have trouble with is the scale. From a distance, it looks like any other New England ranch style. But close up, it’s simply too big. I understand the client had specific program needs that far exceeded the typical Ranch footprint, but there are practical reasons for the scales that exist. For example, most New England homes (at least those built pre 1980s) feature 7’6″ ceilings. Typical residences in the rest of the country are usually 8′ or 9′ (or higher). The main reason for this is that a shorter space is easier to heat.  I also think the size and mass of the entry wall is far more overwhelming than it should be, and evokes the image of a monastery of mausoleum more than a home.