Cunningham Addition
notes by Joel Haertling
The Cunningham addition was one of Haertling's last commissions. In general Haertling turned down jobs doing additions, but toward the end of his life that was some of the only work that was given to him to do.
The structure of this addition is set apart and very distinct from the original building. It rises 2 stories above the ground with pronounced pointed corners that cantilever out dramatically. Along the south wall the landscaping has been brought up along the windows of the kitchen at the level of the counter tops.
A view of the doorway affords a close-up of the double mitre woodwork present all through the building. The doorway opens into a solarium with a hallway to the kitchen . In the kitchen one can see the way that the exterior wood extends into the interior of the house, blurring the boundary between the two. The corner windows of the lower level exhibit Haertling's fenestration solution to the problem of maintaining the "eroding corner" design feature present in his design vocabulary.
Returning toward the entry there is a staircase leading to the bedroom. Stairs lead through a penetration in the ceiling to a bifurcated entry to the second level. This level has a fireplace in the center facing the wall-to-wall windows of the bedroom. These windows are recessed slightly from the ceiling to expose a design detail that echoes the support beams. Haertling's work is known for "reveals" of this kind. The bathroom is in the southwest corner, with high glass-enclosed partitions and lighting hidden behind mitred woodwork identical with that in all the rest of the house.
