House by the Spring Shore by Johnsen Schmaling Architects: Minimalism in Madison

Construction on a Challenging Terrain

The House by the Spring Shore, designed by Johnsen Schmaling Architects, transforms a steep triangular plot in Madison, located in the Spring Harbor area, into an architectural masterpiece of restraint and precision. For a long time, it was considered unsuitable for construction due to its narrow area and hilly terrain. Now, however, it houses a residential house of 32,291 square feet, demonstrating how a thoughtfully designed building can overcome spatial and topographical constraints.

Composition of Volumes

The house consists of three volumes made of onyx, placed on a concrete platform embedded into the slope. Each block has a simple archetypal shape — a rectangle with deep cedar niches, but each is precisely cut and proportioned to match the program, orientation, and panoramic views.

• The largest volume contains the main living areas: an open kitchen, dining room, living room and relaxation zone. It ends with a dramatic cantilevered projection extending over the slope.

• The garage volume anchors the site, connecting to the main house through a glass cellar and an intermediate laundry room.

• The third volume, located above the living spaces, is designed for a bedroom and flexible office/guest room.

Entrance and Interior Layout

The cedar niche marks the entrance, where a pivot door opens into a foyer with a screen made of polished steel. This intimate threshold expands to the dining room and kitchen, while the cozy reading room offers rest. Parallel sliding glass doors extend the living space onto a covered terrace, where cedar finishes transition indoors and surround the central fireplace area.

The house emphasizes visual permeability, with glass walls that encompass views from the front through living areas to the wooden backyard, creating a continuous connection between interior and exterior spaces.

Materials and Details

The dwelling embodies geometric rigor and tactile richness:

• Exterior view: Smooth ash panels frame the vertical side cladding, offering a modern interpretation of local finishing traditions. Clear-stained cedar wood defines niches and voids, adding warmth to the dark grey exterior finish.

• Interior view: A minimal palette of white oak floors, white walls and white countertops creates a calm backdrop, while built-in wooden cabinets expand the cedar texture within the space.

This restrained use of materials avoids visual overload, focusing attention on light, proportions and spatial flow.

Modern Residential Statement

The House by the Spring Shore is both modest and bold: modest in its color palette and simplicity, yet bold in the composition of projecting forms and sculptural niches. Overcoming a complex triangular site, Johnsen Schmaling Architects created a house that embodies modern minimalism in Middle America — a dialogue between geometry, materials and peaceful domestic life.

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