S & H Construction

Scope Of Work

Paul Rudolph, an architect who the world associates with the large-scale Brutalist movement, designed a relatively small residence in the Avon Hill neighborhood of Cambridge, in 1960. In the fall of 2014 and winter of 2015, S + H Construction was tasked with updating, upgrading and restoring this hidden and significant modernist landmark. The property was a former trucking garage, built in the early part of the 20th century. In the late 1950s, a family bought the building, and hired the renowned architect Paul Rudolph, to create a design that would convert the space to residential use. Hidden in a pocket of land behind a shared courtyard and a 14 foot tall fence, it remained mostly shut off from public view for over 50 years. When the house came on the market a few years back, the owner allowed any interested persons to tour the building. The response was remarkable, as dozens of architects and architectural historians leapt at the opportunity. The tour did not disappoint. The building is unusual for a residence in that it measures approximately 80 x 100, mostly on one floor, with 14 foot ceilings in the main living area. Original, elegant steel trusses support the flat roof, and are exposed on the interior. Rudolph created an impressive full glass wall facing the garden, in place of the former garage doors. At the interior, the kitchen, bathrooms and bedrooms flanked either side of the huge living area. At the rear of the open space was another glass wall that defined another area, which was used as a greenhouse. A terrazzo floor was laid down over the old slab. The result was a space that welcomed and impressed.