Hem House is a model to reduce the cost of construction while raising the quality of architecture through strategic construction approaches, design strategies, and building technology. The home is two stacked volumes—a long rectangular first story with a smaller rectangular 150-sf mezzanine on top. The narrow footprint of the house, at just 16’ wide, allows for cost savings in framing and exterior wall assembly away from the lot line. This strategy also makes room for an entrance that is centrally located on the side yard of the building and a double-height living space flooded with light. A single-sloped roof is made from simple pre-fab trusses, allowing for fast and easy framing and the reduction of gutters and storm water on site. The home’s exterior wall reduces the complexity and labor of multi-material assemblies by utilizing an integrated air and water barrier in the structural sheathing.

Materials were also chosen for their cost effectiveness and long-term durability: the home is monolithically clad in black metal siding typically used for roofing, giving a sharp, clean look while also being low maintenance. Additionally, the house is slab on grade inside a frost wall, a decision which reduced excavation costs while also creating a more accessible space for wheelchair users, strollers, and other similar conditions. The insulated slab-on-grade construction also allowed for exposed polished concrete floors which provide a durable and beautiful floor surface. The back patio is created with a series of concrete pavers which also allow rain water to easily percolate into the ground.