Ruhl Walker Architects

The new native species gardens are growing in nicely at the new facility Ruhl Walker Architects designed for the Hawai’i Wildlife Center on the Big Island of Hawai’i, and the construction team at TDI is making great progress towards the official opening in November. Rough plumbing, electrical, and mechanical work are installed and ready for the interior finish work.  

Our partners at Rhoady Lee Architecture and Design are managing the day to day construction administration process which is great except it means for Will there is no longer a regular excuse to visit the islands, unlike the last few years… It’s been great collaborating with Rhoady and Aaron; they’ve been helping us on the HWC, and we’ve in turn collaborated with them on several residential projects, including a recently completed house at the Hualalai Resort, home to the fabulous Four Seasons.  In fact, our senior associate, Sandra Baron, spent 6 weeks working in their office in Waimea during the detailing push for that house, 3 weeks each on two separate occasions.  Aaron, when are you coming to Boston?!

The outpouring of community support for the HWC continues to be amazing. On June 15^th, a contingent of Marines – members of Wing Support Squadron 171, stationed in Iwakuni, Japan, but currently training at the Pohakuloa Training Area on the Big Island – joined Linda Elliott and others to assemble enormous lava rock slabs into benches and tables within the interpretive courtyard. The slabs had been donated by Ryan Associates.

November can’t come soon enough!

Please join us in supporting the Hawai’i Wildlife Center by donating online here!

Exterior view of the main façade of the HWC, seen from the parking area, towards the lanai and open-air education pavilion.	Exterior view of the main entrance to the HWC, with the staging porch (open air triage space) on the left.
A vibrantly painted blue planar wall continues from the entrance lanai into the reception area.	The members of Wing Support Squadron 171, stationed in Iwakuni, Japan, but currently training at the Pohakuloa Training Area on the Big Island, ready to assemble the lava rock slabs into benches and tables for the interpretative courtyard.
The ventilation system will not only cool the injured endangered species being cared for, but also will provide the required air exchanges that will improve their healing more quickly; air conditioning will be minimal despite the tropical climate, due to excellent cross ventilation and reliable tradewinds.	The elaborate plumbing systems will be able to handle major oil spills as well as day to day rehabilitation needs.

Ruhl Walker’s modern house on Mystic Lake is nearing completion and the owners have moved in, while meanwhile crews are still scrambling to finish the exterior. In fact, work is still on-going on the inside too, so living in the house is quite a challenge! But the movers had already been rescheduled twice, everything was packed, and the construction crews doubled down to make at least a partial move-in possible.

The interior stair railings were recently completed, after two separate steel fabricators’ equipment broke while trying to drill holes in the stainless steel posts for the cable rail system. The off-the-shelf railing system – by the Italian company Indital – was substantially less flexible and customizable than anticipated, but the installers went above and beyond to make everything work out smoothly in the end.  Painters, tilers, carpenters, plasterers, plumbers, electricians, and landscape crews all competed for the same limited time and space.  Everyone was trying their best to overcome the time lost to inclement weather over the brutal winter and wet spring.

One highlight of this last few weeks was the delivery of the dozens of slabs of granite, bought for next to nothing from the general contractor working on IKEA’s new store in Somerville; without our intrepid (and persistent) client, all of the granite curbs would have been dumped at a landfill, but are now beautifully choreographed per Matthew Cunningham’s brilliant landscape design. Saving money and being “green”…

So, with a month left before the babies are due, every day is still full of noise and commotion, but the end is in sight, and the magnificent views of the lake are at least a calming influence after the crews leave…

Exterior view from the street; lots of landscape work still on-going, as well as a sizable exterior punch list.	The street side of the house is relatively solid, with cedar screen partitions providing some extra privacy for bath and laundry windows.
The front door will ultimately be translucent, but for the moment you get a sliver of the lake view.	The main living space cantilevers 6’ out from the lower level; adjacent to the living room is a roof deck with wide steps leading down to the yard and lake.
Another view of the deck stairs and the custom stainless steel railing system, including “baby proof” gates.	The slate tile and honed absolute black granite fireplace surround; still to come is the walnut panel for the TV niche, and the stainless steel mesh AV cabinet below.
The stair is almost complete; risers and treads are maple, as is the screen wall that also conceals structure for the landing and extends down into the partially finished basement.	The elegant railing joints are actually standard off-the-shelf stainless steel elements, as are the posts and all of the cable rail fittings.

We are thrilled that our Westport clients are enjoying living in their new river front house, after recently having received their Certificate of Occupancy from the town! There is still an extensive punch list to complete, but after such a long, snowy winter and an unusually rainy spring, that first coffee on the new deck was extra special…

We do our best to address our clients’ expectations throughout the design and construction process; but because every client is so unique, each project has its own unique and ever-changing set of expectations.  In most cases the design process is quite fun, perhaps because the focus is on hopes and dreams.  But most of our clients would not describe the construction process as fun… Maintaining some perspective is the goal, remembering that there is an end to the often stressful process, and trying to find some humor in the occasionally ridiculous process of residential construction. In this case, the focus was on that mid-summer coffee on the deck, watching the river flow by…

Exterior view, river side; the upper level has a master bedroom on the left, living / dining room in the middle, and screened porch on the right, and the lower level has two additional bedrooms, family room, bathroom, and abundant storage.	Close-up of steel stair leading down to the river from the raised deck and screened porch.
Living room view facing the screened porch, accessible through the Nana Wall door system; interior floors are bleached Ash and porch and deck flooring is sustainably harvested mahogany.	The new kitchen with bleached walnut cabinetry and Ash floors.
Interior stairs connecting renovated lower level and new upper level; stairs are bleached ash and lower level floors are stained concrete.	Screened porch view facing into main living / dining space; eventually the far wall will have bleached walnut and honed black slate paneling.
View of Westport River from screened porch; stainless steel railings have been installed since this photo was taken.	The first coffee and NY Times on the new deck…

The images below show one of our most interesting current projects.  We have been hired to not only improve and enlarge a suburban “colonial” house, but also to address the owner’s fundamental dislike for the current house’s outward appearance.  The owners need larger spaces in most every direction, and because the existing house also needs new windows and siding, the opportunity exists to completely change the style of the house.

Perhaps the most exciting of the new changes is the conversion of the former basement into a day lit lap pool, with folding doors opening onto a new lower terrace with a grassy berm, seating wall and fire pit.  The new living and dining spaces are then designed to float above this sunken terrace.

We’ll keep you posted as the design progresses, but below is where we are to date.

BEFORE: front and side of existing house	AFTER: front and side of new house showing new entry sequence
BEFORE: rear of existing house	AFTER: rear of new house showing new decks and indoor pool courtyard / terrace
Aerial view showing new lower level indoor pool courtyard / terrace	Aerial view showing new entry sequence
Lower level pool courtyard with seating integrated into landscaped slope	Lower level pool with glass walls opening out to the courtyard / terrace

A new house for an art collector on Martha’s Vineyard, the renovation of a beach house we originally designed 10 years ago, the complete reconstruction of an urban townhouse, the total redesign of a glass walled penthouse at the W Boston, not to mention over 10 additional projects in design or under construction from Cape Cod to Hawai’i… It’s going to be a VERY busy summer at our studio…

We just started the design of a new house for an art collector on an extraordinary site on Martha’s Vineyard	The house will enjoy spectacular views of the Atlantic as well as brackish ponds and adjacent conservation land
We have begun redesigning a glass walled penthouse at the new W Boston	The unit has magnificent views of Boston, including the harbor, the Public Garden, the Back Bay and Financial District skylines, and the Charles River. The generic existing plan will be opened up to enhance the dramatic views and allow for a more relaxed lifestyle. A new sculptural glass and steel staircase will lead through a motorized skylight to an enormous roof deck with lap pool
We are just beginning the design for a completely rebuilt South End row house	Five floors have already begun to be demolished in preparation for all new structure and finishes, inside and out
Construction has just begun on an expanded unit at The Esplanade, a condominium complex built on the Charles River and designed by Moshe Safdie	The expanded space will serve as both a home office as well as a guest suite for two young entrepeneurs, whose families visit regularly from India
We designed this Cape Cod beach house over 10 years ago for a family with two young daughters. Since then, the family has out grown the original house, so we are helping them expand it in every direction, including up	All interior walls on the ground floor as well as a brick and concrete chimney have been removed, and large steel beams have been added for a totally open living / dining / cooking / entertaining space. This open living space will extend up to a second floor family room with deck that faces out to the Atlantic. The wood posts in this photo are only temporary…

Ruhl Walker Architects is pleased to announced that Keith Case has become certified as a LEED Green Associate demonstrating expertise in environmentally sustainable design, construction, and operations strategies. The exam tests knowledge of the US Green Building Council’s LEED rating systems.

It was a long, snowy winter in New England, and new houses and their owners, contractors, and architects suffered more headaches than we have in many years.  Hard to remember how lucky we’ve been in past winters while shoveling out feet of fresh new snow week after week… But despite the challenges, the house we designed on Mystic Lake in suburban Boston is now only a month away from completion, thanks to the efforts of the general contractor, Berkshire Wilton Partners and their team, as well as an enlightened client who also happens to be an architect. Budget challenges (opportunities!) never end, but the geothermal well is behind us, as is the unexpected shoring up of the site, most of the exterior roofing and siding, and all of the rough mechanical, electrical, and plumbing work, and related decisions.  Interior trim (all set in flush with the walls) and plastering is mostly completed, tile is well along, and the stairs are going in this week. The owners are getting excited about the end of construction and the beginning of the joy of actually living lake-side; we’re sure they won’t miss the bi-weekly requisitions for payment this summer… Check back with us soon for updated photos once the dust settles inside!

The house viewed from across the lake.	The cantilevered volume of the main living space on the left, and the cantilevered study on the right, surrounds a two story exterior roof deck that will eventually have wide steps leading down to the lake. Above the study is another roof deck, adjacent to the master bedroom. The lower level will eventually house a media room and large playroom (and twins are due in September…).
The volume of the main living space cantilevers six feet on the side and four feet towards the lake.	The street side of the house is substantially more private and enclosed than the lake side. The upper middle portion of this side of the house will be sheathed in horizontal cedar slats to provide some extra privacy for a laundry room and bathrooms.
The windows and glass doors on the left open onto the roof deck overlooking the lake. Beyond is an elevated fireplace and the glass wall of the living space.	View of the thirteen foot high wall of windows of the cantilevered main living space, seen from the dining area and open kitchen.
Exterior siding is a collage of fiber cement panels separated by aluminum reveals, and fiber cement clapboards with mitered corners.	Mockups of options being considered for the slatted wall detail. The final decision was 1.5” x 1.5” cedar slats running horizontally and separated by 2”, which will allow for light to filter in during the day, and out at night.
Not sure the neighbors loved the incredibly noisy week long process of drilling the geothermal well in the front yard, but presumably the owners and the environment will…

We see a well designed and well built home as not a privilege but an obligation, and have dedicated our efforts in various ways over the years to Habitat for Humanity.  In the summer of 2012 there will be an intensive 7-10 day “blitz-build” in Hawai’i where 100 volunteers from all over the US will come together and build 3 to 5 houses designed by Ruhl Walker Architects for Habitat West Hawai’i. We are in the early stages of designing several house prototypes specific to the unique climate of Hawai’i. We’re proud to be involved and excited to get started!

The challenge of synthesizing affordability and innovation is a passion we’re constantly exploring. With our entry into a competition sponsored by the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art in 2003, the goal was to transform a standard and uninspiring Habitat for Humanity housing model into a more ambitious and sustainable prototype.  Our entry, shown below, achieves simplicity, efficiency, and flexibility by turning the typical program upside down; a primary loft-like living space is on the upper level, while more private spaces are nestled into the site to feel more protected and benefit from the thermal protections of the earth.

At least one member of the Ruhl Walker team has also gotten her hands (very) dirty for the Habitat for Humanity cause.  Sandra Baron has made it a routine to travel someplace new with Habitat’s Global Village program every couple of years, beginning with a trip in 2007 to the small wine-producing town of Tarija, Bolivia.  The high-altitude vineyards (elevation 6,100ft) of this area were founded at the time of the Spanish missionaries.

Costumed dancers participating in one of many Carnival parades.

The view of Tarija Valley from one of the earliest wine-producing monasteries.

Over a period of ten days the twelve volunteers assisted in the building of a 3 bedroom home for a family of two parents and seven children, all of whom participated in different aspects of the build.  The structure was composed of clay bricks, framed by posts and beams of laboriously hand-mixed concrete and hand-formed rebar.  To top it off, each team member took turns “in the hole” and completed a hand-dug 6’ diameter by 10’ deep pit for the home’s septic system.

One of two shacks the family previously lived in.	The new home under construction.
The forming or rebar to reinforce the concrete parts of the structure.	Reaching for more mortar – not for those who are afraid of heights.
Preparing formwork for a concrete pier at the home’s outside corner.	The team climbs in the “pit” for a photo op.

Just last year, Sandra joined another team of twelve volunteers from all over the world who this time built an entire house in 10 days for a family in rural Ghana.  The small village of Bodaa sits on Ghana’s border with its western neighbor, Cote D’Ivoire, and relies primarily on cashew farming for income.  While they received electricity approximately four years ago, the residents still rely on a couple of hand-pumped wells for all their water needs.

The chief and village elders welcome the Habitat team to Bodaa.

The women’s league leads a singing procession to welcome the Habitat volunteers.

The very simple Habitat home was built for a young family of farmers.  It included two sleeping/living rooms, a toilet room, shower stall, and cooking space. Made of clay brick and mortar with concrete floors and a corrugated metal roof to top it off, the finished product was presented to an eternally grateful new homeowner at the end of the volunteers’ stay.

Many of the homes in the village are little more than thatch roof shacks.	A woman carries her supplies past a completed Habitat home.
Concrete blocks act as a foundation and outline the rooms of the house.	Cleaning and shaping the mortar joints proves to be a difficult art form.
Taking a break for a walk through town with a curious new friend.	Framing members are installed in preparation for corrugated metal roofing.

During the two week stay, the team stayed with host families in Habitat-built homes.  The village as a whole made sure that the volunteers got a good taste of life in Bodaa with ceremonies, drumming and dance events, football matches, and other activities scheduled for nearly every evening.

The women are pulled into the circle to try out their dance moves.

A monkey is happy to receive a small bit of banana.

Chasing goats out of the toilet stall, sleeping under mosquito nets, and enduring 117 degree heat may sound like an odd way to spend one’s vacation, but the amazing cultural exchange and the joy of providing adequate housing to very deserving families has Sandra counting down the months until her next Global Village trip! And this international volunteer design and construction experience, though it doesn’t translate directly to our domestic clients, has proven invaluable in opening our eyes to the myriad unique ways humans have found to live sustainably.

In 2007, Ruhl Walker Architects was hired to design six faculty houses for St. Mark’s School in Southborough, MA, prevailing over three architectural firms with much deeper portfolios of previous institutional work.  We may have been the most surprised of anyone, but our decades of experience designing environmentally responsible single family houses, our initial concept that attempted to design not just a few small houses but also a coherent landscape and campus strategy, and our unusual design team – which included the prefabricator, Empyrean, as well as our “green” mechanical engineer, Sergio Siani of Norian / Siani, whose practice was all about sustainable design before such a thing existed in the press – managed to win the day .  How else was someone going to meet St. Mark’s “impossible” schedule – less than a year for design and construction – and “impossible” budget, without a prefabricator on board from day one?  And sustainability is a key element of the Head of School’s mandate to transform the 150+ year old campus. We embarked on this “impossible” project with open minds, and thanks to our fabulous team as well as an excellent general contractor – Cutler Associates of Worcester, MA – a super Owner’s Rep – Lee Sollenberger of Design Technique of Newburyport, MA – and a decisive Building Committee, were able to finish the project (see on our portfolio website) under budget and several months early.

As the faculty houses were being completed, St. Mark’s was also embarking on an ambitious master planning process. The planning goals included further campus consolidation and sustainability initiatives, in particular upgrading their main campus building, a meandering structure dating back to 1866 that includes classroom and administrative space, a chapel, dining and cooking facilities, dorm rooms, and faculty apartments.  In order to be able to begin renovating and upgrading the existing living spaces without reducing the size of the student body or number of faculty, additional faculty and student housing had to be built elsewhere on campus.  A previously undeveloped site within an existing row of faculty houses was identified, and the decision was made to reassemble our team to design a new two-family faculty house.  Due to the small size of the project, the decision was made to do the mechanical design as a design/build effort, but Rebecca Bachand of UBLA joined us again for the landscape design. 

The schedule we were presented was substantially tighter than the first project, along with an even more challenging budget.  So this time around, we decided to pursue custom modular construction rather than panelized construction, so that we could have the living spaces fabricated over the winter in a factory while site work was being completed, and this decision proved to be fortunate as we accumulated historic quantities of snow. Last week the eight modules were delivered to the site by Simplex Homes just as the local general contractor was putting the finishing touches on the foundation.  The modules came complete with all windows, interior wall finish and trim, rough and finish electrical and plumbing, kitchen and bath cabinetry, essentially everything except exterior siding and interior flooring. And we are on schedule to have the units ready for move-in by June.

Here are some images from the module “set”:

Module #2 being craned into place, including the kitchen and half bath.	Module #5 being set onto first floor module #1.
Module #6 being set onto 2nd floor, unfortunately backwards…	Module #2 just before being removed and turned 180 degrees…
Module #2, with kitchen on left and stair in the middle.	Prepping for Module #7 and #8.
Nor’easter blowing through a week after the set.