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The Ruskin House: Rails & Roof Decks |
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2025 CALVINO architecture studio, inc all contents of this publication whether in digital or analog format are the express property of CALVINOarchitecture studio, inc. and shall not be reproduced by any means without written consent from Mike Calvino |
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View from the Northeast . . . |
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. . . forge ahead . . . |
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One of the early concept sketches of the project
View from the Northeast of the 1/4 scale model |
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These pipe & angle trusses support the main glu-lam beams that form the shape of the space. The beams will need to be threaded into the trusses like needles . . . Under the floor you can see the stacks of rough-sawn cypress for the beams it had to be ordred early enough to dry to specified moisture content because the mill produces it green.
View from the south |
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Rails at the living level. These rails are formed with cnc plasma cut steel plate these were the days before we built our own cnc machine at the studio. There were rules for the rails: the supports were alternating spacing of 4 6 , 1 6 to get an overall 6 spacing. This reduces the monotony of the system and gives one a reference to space because of the varied dimensions; also there could be no capped corners, in other words the rails had to wrap the corners with the support verticals moved back by a division of 36 (4.5 , 6 , or 9 ) from the ends. |
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The void corners is another tool to create a more open sense about the space. It is not capped, not enclosed, but continues beyond the ends.
The horizontal composition of the rails also adds to the fluid nature of the space and connects it horizontally to the water & the bay beyond. |
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West elevation. The effect of the rail composition is seen on the upper roof deck here, the void corner, the varied vertical spacing, and the horizontal composition. |
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At this point in the construction, one can begin to feel the many layers of space cascading down toward the water at the NE of the project. The horizontal planes and the rails move the space in & out at the water s edge bringing the space into the house. |
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From the water s edge toward the east roof deck over the master suite. |
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Above you can see where the edge of the guest roof deck at the west side slips inside the glass-line and the rails are open for the glass catwalk that will connect this west roof deck to the loft space. The a/c vents can be seen here welded into the W16 floor structure. |