Nemestudio, a Berkeley, California-based firm, has designed the CS2 House in Denver, Colorado, which reimagines the traditional single-family home. The design places an oversized shed roof, forming the upper floor, on top of a cylindrical ground-floor pedestal, making the two levels appear as distinct volumes. This 1,850-square-foot house was built on an empty lot purchased for $225,000, after Nemestudio had originally intended to build a similar dwelling (CS House) in the Bay Area but found land and construction costs prohibitive.
The architects worked on a tight budget, utilizing inexpensive materials such as concrete block for the curved walls of the first floor and IKEA kitchen cabinetry. The interior features a minimalist aesthetic with unpainted concrete floors and bare white walls, accented with pale green and bright yellow. The circular ground level includes an open, flexible space with a kitchen, a bathroom, and a double-height living area, while a central staircase leads to the upper floor, which houses two bedrooms and a shared bathroom. Large, square-shaped windows throughout the house ensure ample daylight, and a basement includes a sitting room, a guest bedroom, a bathroom, and storage.
The CS2 House is seen by Nemestudio founders Turan and Sönmez as a model for low-cost, design-focused residences. The property also features shaded outdoor patio areas and a small balcony. This unique architectural approach allows for multiple interpretations of the house from different viewpoints, offering an eccentric yet fitting addition to Denver's East Colfax neighborhood, which primarily consists of simple post-World War II single-family boxes.
