Daryl Hall House Project

Every once in a while I get a project that stands out as one of particular interest, and this house in western Connecticut is a good example. The house is owned by Daryl Hall, of Hall and Oates fame, and is undergoing a series of alterations including a new addition.  Built in 1787, the house has been added to several times over the years, and was given a more uniform exterior skin in the 1920’s that serves to tie together the various added parts. This project is a collaborative effort between Daryl, Connor Homes in Middlebury, VT, and contractor Steve Wilson. The process is being documented by the DIY network, and will air as a series of shows starting in the spring of 2014. As an expert on old houses I worked with Connor Homes to provide the architectural design for the addition and various interior elements in the existing house. Architect Jessie Chapman, who works with me on many of my projects, aided me in that effort.

Northeast Corner of Hall House, pre-construction

Northeast Corner of Hall House, foundation complete

Northeast Corner of Hall House, addition shell underway

I have been involved with Connor Homes in Middlebury, VT for a number of years now, and see their process of factory building as the future of new home construction. Connor’s focus on new old house work is right up my alley, they have done two of my projects for me, and I couldn’t be happier with the results. (More on Connor in future blog posts.)  This project was somewhat of a departure for Connor in that they provided the addition to a very irregular structure rather than creating an entirely new house. Working with all the eccentricities of an old house is challenging enough when stick-building, but to have all the parts made in the Connor factory and then delivered to the site demanded an extraordinary amount of careful planning, something the Connor people thankfully excel at. Once the pre-built shell of the addition has been delivered to the site in truck-able parts, it was up to contractor Steve Wilson and his crew to assemble it all on top of the foundation

Another interesting wrinkle is that Daryl wanted the addition to appear to predate the existing house, as though the addition was the initial structure on the site to which the main house was added some 37 years later. Daryl knows his stuff with old houses, and it has been fun to work with a client so knowledgeable. As a musician myself, I often compare the collaborative process of design and construction to playing in a band, the same basic rules apply to both- each contributor is there to support the others in the pursuit of creating the best overall result.

In the photo below we see the Connor building shell is being supplemented by a timber frame floor ceiling system. This shot was taken in the basement level of the addition, and shows the timber frame supporting the floor above. Many New England houses of the mid-18th century had exposed ceiling systems like this one, so its inclusion into our design reinforces the effect of that time period. The material for the timber frame was provided by Daryl out of his collection of old house parts. The frame was prepared by a timber framer in Massachusetts, and was assembled by Steve Wilson and his crew. The floor above this basement room has a similar exposed timber frame.

Southwest Corner of Hall Addition

We were limited with the potential footprint of the addition by setbacks to the street and proximity to wetlands, which abound at Daryl’s house. The site is in western Connecticut, close to the New York State border, and is zealously guarded by local zoning ordinances, always a double-edged sword. Given the small potential footprint of the addition, we separated the massing into two parts, to help create the effect of structures added over time. The detailing of the interior of the addition from moldings to wall surfaces will reflect finishes that were seen in the middle of the 18th century. The exterior shell will also have a simpler look than the main house, with custom made windows (by Connor Home’s Benson window division) that will also reflect earlier construction than the main house. I’ve done so many additions to old houses over the years, but never one that would appear to predate the existing house. It’s an interesting challenge. Stay tuned for updates as the project progresses. In the meantime, here's on more relevant shot:

Daryl Hall and Peter LaBau, hard at work