Saltonstall Foundation for the Arts – Ithaca, NY
DETAILS
Architect:
Caroline O’Donnell Architecture
Photography:
Iris Xiaoxue Ma of Caroline O’Donnell Architecture D.P.C
Location:
Ithaca, NY
Exterior Cladding:
reSAWN TIMBER co.
Custom shou sugi ban charred cypress
Select grade
Burnt on face, sealed all 4 sides (BLACK FINISH)
Solid +/- 13/16” thick x +/- 5-1/2” wide x 6′-16′ random lengths
Solid +/- 13/16” thick x +/- 3-1/2” wide x 6′-16′ random
S4S
reSAWN TIMBER co.
MATSU – shou sugi ban FSC-Certified charred Accoya® wood
Species: Pinus radiata
FSC® Certified: FSC® mixed 70%
Burnt on face, sealed all 4 sides (BLACK FINISH)
Solid +/- 3/4″ thick x +/- 5-3/4″ wide x 6′-16′ random
lengths
Solid +/- 3/4″ thick x +/- 3-1/2″ wide x 6′-16′ random
lengths
S4S
The Saltonstall Foundation for the Arts supports New York State artists and writers at their beautiful, 200-acre property in Ithaca, New York. To date, they have provided residences to almost 400 artists and writers and given over half a million dollars in grants to individual artists and writers of New York State. This building hosts its summer residency program, self-directed, do-it-yourself retreats, and also serves as a public gallery. Founder Connie Saltonstall shaped an idea that would be a guide for the formation of this foundation. Connie especially hoped her inspiring home and property would become a retreat where artists and writers could live and work, and that dream is now a picturesque reality.
The Foundation’s commitment to sustainability included reSAWN’s shou sugi ban charred siding. The existing siding was reused on the backside of the new addition to create as little waste as possible. The new MATSU slat facade creates a sun-shading device, making the hottest months of the year more bearable. The building also features solar-powered elements, recycled materials, and transom windows and skylights.
The custom shou sugi ban charred exterior cladding covers the majority of the building. For a similar look to this custom charred cladding, see MONOGATARI 2.0. It was also utilized in slats covering the windows as well as the barn doors to enter the building. Using a mix of two widths of S4S boards, a beautiful aesthetic is created that extends throughout the original structure and the addition. Looked at as an outer skin that wraps the facade of the addition, the shou sugi ban exterior cladding folds diagonally to form an outdoor amphitheater and slowly thins into a tail-like wall that lines the path leading to the existing main house. The MATSU slats helped join the existing building to the new addition that creates the amphitheater.
MATSU by reSAWN TIMBER co. features charred Accoya wood burnt in the Japanese style of shou sugi ban and can be used for interior or exterior wall cladding. reSAWN takes great pride in designing products on high-performance, stable domestic softwoods, and contemporary modified woods. In addition, charring adds an extra layer of protection to wood’s structural durability. The shou sugi ban process carbonizes the wood’s surface and creates an outer char layer that protects against rot, insects, and moisture-related decay in exterior applications.
From the scale of the city to the detail, CODA designs unique, site-responsive, and sustainable solutions that balance function and desire. Their award-winning firm is known for their use of an innovative material palette, as well as for their commitment to a dynamic interaction between the architecture and its inhabitants over time. Since 2008, CODA has designed inventive solutions for a range of programs, from art installations to houses, from religious and public buildings to housing, and from furniture to entire city design.
