mask house by WOJR is a sanctuary for refuge and contemplation

envisioned by WOJR, instead of a client’s brief, a storyline has influenced the program and design of ‘mask house’. the mysterious dwelling overlooks a lake and has been conceptualized as a place of refuge and contemplation for a man who has lost his younger brother.

images © WOJR / alexis nicolas basso

despite its dark clad exterior of mask house, the sequence of rooms instill a sanctuary-like atmosphere that serves as a place of separation and protection that ‘removes one from the world of the everyday and offers passage to an other world.‘ the property is supported with stilts over a slope and is protected by a large slatted wall that covers the façade. the sanctuary is drawn-out through a series of thresholds that define a scalar sequence of nested interiors—each interior becoming successively more removed from one world and more connected to the next. the light wooded walls -a contrast to its envelope- instill a scandinavian aesthetic. large windows welcome views onto the lake and surrounding nature and as the WOJR say ‘provide one in search of sanctuary an abundance of opportunities to find refuge.’

project info:

name: mask house
location: ithaca, ny
program: house/space of contemplation
area: 587 square feet
status: 2013-ongoing
design team: william o’brien jr., john david todd, gabrielle piazza patawaran, justin gallagher, kian hiu lan yam, joey swerdlin
visualization: alexis nicolas basso

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