Concrete Masonry Designs
Old and New Thrive in this Connected Design
These outdoor spaces harness the sun for heat during the winter. Both existing fireplaces and loadbearing walls are 8x8x8-inch (203x203x203-mm) concrete block and were built in 1959. The new loadbearing, infill privacy walls are 8x8x16-inch (203x203x406-mm) concrete block, laid in both common and stacked patterns. The horizontal 4-inch (101.6-mm) cedar wrap siding acts like a rain screen with a 3/4-inch (19.05-mm) airspace over the existing black wood siding, equal to the new concrete masonry unit horizontal joints, with a overall thickness of 8 inches (203 mm), equal in height to the 8-inch (203-mm) concrete block, both new and existing.
The Connection Extends to the Outdoors
The cedar creates shade to the exterior skin during the summer, and the concrete masonry retains heat gathered in the winter. In the end, the old concrete masonry sets the stage for all the new materials to perform at their best and maintain the modernist message of this home’s original design.
