Folded House

Folded House is a renovation and modest extension of a 1950s ranch house in Minneapolis, completed by Alchemy Architects in 2019. The intervention removed 270 square feet and added 370 square feet, reshaping and elongating the existing structure to enhance southern exposure for passive solar performance. The project prioritizes energy efficiency while working within the constraints of the original building footprint. The design introduces a folded roof with a cedar soffit, calibrated to block summer sun while permitting winter light. The expanded hall incorporates spray foam insulation, thermal breaks, and black slate flooring on a thermal mass bed, with heating needs further reduced by a steel wall lined with phase change gel. Much of the in-floor heat system remains unused, even in winter. At the entry, a self-supporting, origami-inspired awning was fabricated off-site using 3D modeling and laser cutting before being folded on site above a concrete plinth.

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