Unfolding in the Longhouse
Advised by Sharon Johnston and Mark Lee
Cornwall, Connecticut [2025]
art gallery
the spectacular vernacular studio description
Situated within a rural Connecticut, Unfolding in the Longhouse explores the spatial logics of two vernacular typologies: the ad-hoc additions of the New England saltbox and the seriality of the longhouse. The saltbox’s form—historically shaped by pragmatic, ad-hoc expansions—offered a strategy for spatial accumulation over time, while the longhouse introduced a serial order aligned with the repetitive nature of gallery programs.
By borrowing from these types, the building expands in both plan and section as one moves through. The eastern elevation echoes the saltbox’s asymmetry, creating a parallel relationship to the natural drop in topography. Acting as a diptych, the western façade establishes a rhythmic aperture sequence, referencing the longhouse while creating a datum against the landscape. Following an open lobby, the plan bifurcates to circulation space and repetitive double-height galleries, culminating in a triple-height community event space. Formally restrained on the exterior, the project unfolds slowly in section, creating a telescopic experience where repetition makes subtle differences more perceptible. This episodic spatial rhythm mirrors the quiet, expansive quality of the landscape itself. The gallery becomes not only a vessel for art but also a device for framing movement and terrain—foregrounding process over monumentality.
telescopic view expands overtime
1 lobby
2 gallery one
3 gallery two
4 gallery three
5 event space
west elevation
1/2” = 1’ section model
plans: 0, -1, -2
1 lobby and cafe
2 service
3 art storage
4 gallery
5 gallery
6 gallery
7 storage
8 community room
9 event space
1 lobby and cafe
2 service
3 art storage
4 gallery
5 gallery
6 gallery
7 storage
8 community room
9 event space