CASE STUDY
SHIFT HOUSE
Palette Architecture is pleased to introduce Shift House , a 1,600 s . f . new home for a family of four . It is constructed of prefabricated , modular components that were factory fabricated and connected on-site .
The design takes advantage of prefabrication ’ s economies in budget and schedule , without compromising on the overall design intent . These tools are deployed in a house enriched by its natural surroundings and supportive of the family ’ s activities .
In the immediate aftermath of the pandemic , there was a desire amongst many New Yorkers to supplement their homes in the city with ones more connected to nature . A prior client asked us to design a second home away from their Brooklyn townhouse , and they quickly settled on a tree-lined subdivision in East Hampton , in relative visual seclusion from their neighbors . The house was to be modest in scale and budget , with an urgency to occupy it .
Concurrent with the start of this project , the architects were navigating contractor shortages and long wait times on a number of their projects . They suggested prefabrication to the client to achieve lower construction costs , an expedited schedule , and improved budget and schedule certainty . They then embarked on a design process that worked within prefabrication ’ s limits , while pressing the fabricator to expand their offerings to meet Palette ’ s design goals .
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