This stone house had been in the client’s family since 1730 and untouched since the late 1940s. For Marilyn Moedinger, AIA, it posed an intriguing conceptual challenge: how to keep its historic diagram while inserting contemporary living patterns. The architects rose to the task without removing walls, window and door locations, flooring, trim, or woodwork, “letting the house really do the talking,” Marilyn says. Three walls were added to create a bath, laundry, and mechanical space, and the kitchen walls were furred out to run mechanicals. “We 3D-modeled every plumbing pipe and wire to make sure we weren’t adding soffits,” she says.
In addition, three new dormers bring light into the finished attic. The team left exposed sections of horsehair plaster, graffiti, and milk paint. “The palette of eight colors was inspired by Fraktur art and the colors we found in the house,” Marilyn says. “It had electric pinks, blues, and greens, classic Pennsylvania German colors.”
The judges praised the project’s restraint. “This could have been a stripped-down stone house made into a New York loft, and they didn’t do that. It has that strong European feel and they stuck true to that in a way that’s really admirable. They also stuck to a budget. That says something strong: that design doesn’t have to be modern or slick. Sticking to an authentic vernacular is equally valid.”
Citation
Custom Period or Vernacular Renovation
Runcible Studios
Stone House
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Project Credits
Architect/Interior Designer: Marilyn W. Moedinger, AIA, Runcible Studios, Boston, Massachusetts, and Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Builder: Don Delp, Restore ‘N More, Manheim, Pennsylvania
Mechanical engineer: Marc Rosenbaum, Energysmiths, West Tisbury, Massachusetts
Structural engineer: Lin Gallant, Energy Logic, West Tisbury
Project size: 3,100 square feet
Site size: 150 acres
Construction cost: Withheld
Photography: Kyle Caldwell
Key Products
Cabinetry hardware: EPCO
Cooking vent hood: Zephyr
Dishwasher: Bosch
Exterior cladding: 300-year-old Pennsylvania limestone
Fireplace: HearthStone
HVAC: Mitsubishi
Kitchen cabinetry: Custom
Radiators: Runtal
Range: Frigidaire
Refrigerator: Whirlpool
Skylights: VELUX
Vanities: IKEA (guest baths)
Ventilation: Zehnder ERV
Washer/dryer: GE