Dwell 2015 11

T
The rural landscape of Foster,
Rhode Island, a town 30 minutes
west of Providence by car, is
farmland reclaimed by trees. After
the area was clear-cut and mainly
used for agriculture a century ago,
nature has slowly regenerated a
sylvan blanket over its gently rolling hills. It’s there
that artist Allison Paschke decided to build a
530-square-foot retreat from the urban thrum. “It’s
sort of like a miniature cottage a miniature distance
from the miniature city,” she says.
To design the structure, Paschke enlisted the
expertise of Providence-based architecture firm 3SIXØ,
a studio she had previously worked with on a loft renovation.
While she enjoys living in the city, she yearned
for a place where she could commune with nature.
“I brought them this rather, in retrospect, idiotic
drawing,” she says of an early meeting with the
architects. “It was half house and half greenhouse.
I wanted to communicate the idea that I would be
living in a world of plants and nature and not just in
an ordinary habitation.”
Chris Bardt, a founding partner (along with Kyna
Leski) of 3SIXØ, and Jack Ryan, a senior associate at the
firm and the project architect, collaborated closely
with Paschke to refine her idea of a house that would
offer a connection with the land while still providing a
sense of security. “Allison came and said, ‘I don’t want
a cabin; I want a cottage,’” Bardt says. “We spent a lot
of time talking about how it should echo a bygone
era—that postwar period where everyone dreamed of
spending the summer in a cottage.”
“They knew from working with me on the loft that
the most important thing about the space would be >
The deck is furnished with
pieces from Design Within
Reach (above left). Key to the
space-efficient floor plan is
a strategically placed set of
recessed areas, including
the sleeping nook and writing
desk (above). The modest
entry to the cottage (below)
opens up to steeply angled
ceilings for dramatic spatial
effect. The bathroom is
outfitted with a Kohler sink,
black tile, and a countertop
from Williams & Sons Slate
& Tile (opposite, above).
The kitchen area, which has
IKEA cabinets with custom
doors and pulls by Doug
Mockett, is also recessed,
with a lofted area above it
(opposite, below).
100 NOVEMBER 2015 DWELL