Elizabeth II – The Resort House With Excellent Acoustic Insulation

A lot of consideration is given to the elements that make each home special. Each one is designed according to a unique set of particularities and requests coming from the client or dictated by the location and the conditions on the site. The Elizabeth II house is an interesting case because it didn’t have to be exposed to the views or to have a futuristic form. Instead, it needed to be very well insulated from an acoustic point of view.

Elizabeth II House exterior design
The house is extremely well insulated from an acoustic point of view
Elizabeth II House entryway
The owners wanted it to be peaceful and quiet and the location asked for serious research in this sense

The house is located in Amagansett, a resort town in New York, USA. It was completed in 2014 by Bates Masi Architects, a company with over 50 years of experience and a dedicated team of researchers that constantly look for unique solutions to every challenge, as special and as varied as the clients they are designed for. Every project is seen as an opportunity to enrich lives and to enhance the environment.

Elizabeth II House facade and entrance
Being located in a resort town, the house is always surrounded by noise and a busy atmosphere
Elizabeth II House glass facade section
To offer it the level of acoustic insulation needed, the architects had to find a way to direct sound past it

Because of the location and the fact that the client wanted the house to be a quiet and tranquil refuge, special consideration had to be given to the acoustic of the building. In other words, the architects had to find a way to shield the house from all the noises coming from the exterior. This little detail was the element that dictated the form of the house, the palette of materials used for its constriction as well as a variety of smaller features.

Elizabeth II House outdoor pool
The sound waves are directed past a series of custom walls, creating a tranquil interior space as well as a quiet outdoor area
Elizabeth II House outdoor corridor
The walls also offer excellent thermal insulation in addition to having a very low sound transmission coefficient
Elizabeth II House living room and kitchen
The interior is very cozy and inviting thanks to the warm palette of materials and colors
Elizabeth II House social area
All the furniture is carefully selected and no unnecessary features were included in the design

The house was designed with a series of parallel walls designed to offer layers of insulation and privacy. The walls direct the sound waves past them creating a quiet interior. They’e not just any regular walls. They’re 20” thick and they have a poured concrete core wrapped in insulating foam. This allows them to offer excellent thermal insulation and to also have a very low sound transmission coefficient.

Elizabeth II House staircase panels
Even the staircase has a special design which changes the pitch of the footsteps
Elizabeth II House sculptural staircase
The shape, the materials used in its construction and various other details turn the staircase into a real focal point

One of the details designed in theme with the rest of the project is the staircase. It too has been optimize to reduce noise, featuring tapered threads that change the pitch of the sound made by footsteps traveling up and down.

Elizabeth II House window bench and bookcase
The rooms are generally small and this makes them particularly cozy and welcoming

The interior walls were also custom-designed to suit the special requirements. Cedar board siding was attached to the walls using custom stainless steel clips and this makes both the interior and the exterior design of the house a very pleasant and welcoming one.

Elizabeth II House sliding glass doors
Despite the fact that it’s so well shielded from the outdoors, the house also enjoys a strong connection to the surroundings
Elizabeth II House wood and glass insulation
Protective walls form an extra layer of insulation for the glass sections

This project was a special one both for the client and the architects who had to do a lot of research on sound and the way it affects our perception of space. This allowed them to choose the perfect materials and forms for the project.