Architects: Bureau for Architecture and Urbanism
Area: 162 m²
Year: 2012
Photography: Steve Maylone
Builder: Green Building Services, PLLC
City: Ann Arbor
Country: United States
The Matchbox House, designed by Bureau for Architecture and Urbanism in 2012, features a unique design where cedar-sided quadrants slip past each other within a standing seam metal wrapper, creating dynamic indoor and outdoor spaces. The 162 m², four-bedroom houses aims for LEED Platinum Certification, incorporating green features like FSC wood and reclaimed trim.
The Matchbox House, designed by Bureau for Architecture and Urbanism, embodies a concept where four inner cedar-sided quadrants slide within an outer standing seam metal wrapper. This design creates outdoor spaces within the confines of the sleeve, with the quadrants either jutting out or being pushed in. The house resembles an urban cottage nestled in the woods, with an iconic four-sided geometry elevated on a concrete plinth, expressing a fifth side.
The 162 m² house includes four bedrooms and a one-car garage. It is on track to receive LEED Platinum Certification and has a HERS rating of 49. Green features include FSC wood, reclaimed barn trim, no conventional turf, and low-flow plumbing fixtures. Designed to be compact, the house utilizes all space effectively, with no attic or basement. Rooms vary in volume, creating dynamic spaces, and the upstairs rooms have ceilings ranging from 0.9 meters to 4.9 meters. A portion of the main living area features a double-volume space extending to the roof.
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Project Location
Address: Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
Location is for general reference and may represent a city or country, not necessarily a precise address.
