A Desecrated House
A Desecrated House

Yale School of Architecture, Spring 2023.

Supervised by Thomas Kelley, Carrie Norman, and Violette de la Selle.

This project positions the Joseph Webb House in Old Wethersfield, Connecticut, between the themes of coincidence, desecration, and reconstitution, reading it as a shell of coincidence, desecrated character, and reconstituted home.

The current preservation of the Webb House as a house museum is warranted by George Washington's 5-night stay during the Revolutionary War, but more precisely can be located to the bedchamber he slept in, and even more precisely, the bed.

The current preservation of the Webb House as a house museum is warranted by George Washington's 5-night stay during the Revolutionary War, but more precisely can be located to the bedchamber he slept in, and even more precisely, the bed.

The bedchamber, and the House itself, are simply containers for this historic artifact. But is the coincidentally important enough to justify the preservation of the entire house? I propose that it does not.

The bedchamber, and the House itself, are simply containers for this historic artifact. But is the coincidentally important enough to justify the preservation of the entire house? I propose that it does not.

In Kenneth Frampton's "Towards a Critical Regionalism" we are introduced to the concept of deconstruction. For Frampton the desconstruction is metaphysical - a critique of a homogenized condition of world culture. But for us in Wethersfield, might w

In Kenneth Frampton's "Towards a Critical Regionalism" we are introduced to the concept of deconstruction. For Frampton the desconstruction is metaphysical - a critique of a homogenized condition of world culture. But for us in Wethersfield, might we take deconstruction literally?

We could redefine deconstruction as a productive desecration - a violent dissection. When repositioning a future Webb House, we should seriously consider the impermanence of things, of building, and how desecration can enable possibility.

We could redefine deconstruction as a productive desecration - a violent dissection. When repositioning a future Webb House, we should seriously consider the impermanence of things, of building, and how desecration can enable possibility.

The desecration of the extant Webb House and adjoining visitor’s center give way for a reconceptualization of the house museum as a series of commons.

The desecration of the extant Webb House and adjoining visitor’s center give way for a reconceptualization of the house museum as a series of commons.

SIS-11.jpg
The house is desecrated, then reconstituted in a new tectonic language. The motif of stone, derived from stone-enders and property walls in the region, is recaptured and reactivated, married to existing elements.

The house is desecrated, then reconstituted in a new tectonic language. The motif of stone, derived from stone-enders and property walls in the region, is recaptured and reactivated, married to existing elements.

The byproduct of desecration - the street facade of the existing House - creates the opportunity to establish the zone of the desecrated visitor’s center as a lawn, mobilizing the rhythm and reposition of the facade as its marker.

The byproduct of desecration - the street facade of the existing House - creates the opportunity to establish the zone of the desecrated visitor’s center as a lawn, mobilizing the rhythm and reposition of the facade as its marker.

230504_FINAL_Section_BB.png
House Museum.png
SIS-10.jpg
The tunnel from the Webb House to the existing barn serves as seasonal access, perforated as to maintain visual relationships to the lawn and adjacent flower field.

The tunnel from the Webb House to the existing barn serves as seasonal access, perforated as to maintain visual relationships to the lawn and adjacent flower field.

An oculus that punches through the newly articulated piazza into the basement grotto of the House works inversely - the grotto experiences the shifts in environment due to its exposure, but visual relations are limited to the sky.

An oculus that punches through the newly articulated piazza into the basement grotto of the House works inversely - the grotto experiences the shifts in environment due to its exposure, but visual relations are limited to the sky.

Ultimately, acts of desecration are mediums for us to reconcile conflicted histories and forge new ground to write new ones, while still communicating with the past.

Ultimately, acts of desecration are mediums for us to reconcile conflicted histories and forge new ground to write new ones, while still communicating with the past.

230504_FINAL_Detail.png
A Desecrated House
The current preservation of the Webb House as a house museum is warranted by George Washington's 5-night stay during the Revolutionary War, but more precisely can be located to the bedchamber he slept in, and even more precisely, the bed.
The bedchamber, and the House itself, are simply containers for this historic artifact. But is the coincidentally important enough to justify the preservation of the entire house? I propose that it does not.
In Kenneth Frampton's "Towards a Critical Regionalism" we are introduced to the concept of deconstruction. For Frampton the desconstruction is metaphysical - a critique of a homogenized condition of world culture. But for us in Wethersfield, might w
We could redefine deconstruction as a productive desecration - a violent dissection. When repositioning a future Webb House, we should seriously consider the impermanence of things, of building, and how desecration can enable possibility.
The desecration of the extant Webb House and adjoining visitor’s center give way for a reconceptualization of the house museum as a series of commons.
SIS-11.jpg
The house is desecrated, then reconstituted in a new tectonic language. The motif of stone, derived from stone-enders and property walls in the region, is recaptured and reactivated, married to existing elements.
The byproduct of desecration - the street facade of the existing House - creates the opportunity to establish the zone of the desecrated visitor’s center as a lawn, mobilizing the rhythm and reposition of the facade as its marker.
230504_FINAL_Section_BB.png
House Museum.png
SIS-10.jpg
The tunnel from the Webb House to the existing barn serves as seasonal access, perforated as to maintain visual relationships to the lawn and adjacent flower field.
An oculus that punches through the newly articulated piazza into the basement grotto of the House works inversely - the grotto experiences the shifts in environment due to its exposure, but visual relations are limited to the sky.
Ultimately, acts of desecration are mediums for us to reconcile conflicted histories and forge new ground to write new ones, while still communicating with the past.
230504_FINAL_Detail.png
A Desecrated House

Yale School of Architecture, Spring 2023.

Supervised by Thomas Kelley, Carrie Norman, and Violette de la Selle.

This project positions the Joseph Webb House in Old Wethersfield, Connecticut, between the themes of coincidence, desecration, and reconstitution, reading it as a shell of coincidence, desecrated character, and reconstituted home.

The current preservation of the Webb House as a house museum is warranted by George Washington's 5-night stay during the Revolutionary War, but more precisely can be located to the bedchamber he slept in, and even more precisely, the bed.

The bedchamber, and the House itself, are simply containers for this historic artifact. But is the coincidentally important enough to justify the preservation of the entire house? I propose that it does not.

In Kenneth Frampton's "Towards a Critical Regionalism" we are introduced to the concept of deconstruction. For Frampton the desconstruction is metaphysical - a critique of a homogenized condition of world culture. But for us in Wethersfield, might we take deconstruction literally?

We could redefine deconstruction as a productive desecration - a violent dissection. When repositioning a future Webb House, we should seriously consider the impermanence of things, of building, and how desecration can enable possibility.

The desecration of the extant Webb House and adjoining visitor’s center give way for a reconceptualization of the house museum as a series of commons.

The house is desecrated, then reconstituted in a new tectonic language. The motif of stone, derived from stone-enders and property walls in the region, is recaptured and reactivated, married to existing elements.

The byproduct of desecration - the street facade of the existing House - creates the opportunity to establish the zone of the desecrated visitor’s center as a lawn, mobilizing the rhythm and reposition of the facade as its marker.

The tunnel from the Webb House to the existing barn serves as seasonal access, perforated as to maintain visual relationships to the lawn and adjacent flower field.

An oculus that punches through the newly articulated piazza into the basement grotto of the House works inversely - the grotto experiences the shifts in environment due to its exposure, but visual relations are limited to the sky.

Ultimately, acts of desecration are mediums for us to reconcile conflicted histories and forge new ground to write new ones, while still communicating with the past.

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