180 Acre House
Set among 180 acres of rolling farm land in the
foothills of the Catskill Mountains, this weekend retreat was commissioned by a
New Jersey family who wanted space for themselves and their horses. The house is sited along a ridge with
panoramic mountain views to the north and out of sight of any other
structures.
In order to take advantage of the view from every
room and to draw passive heating from the sun, we stretched the house along the
ridge and positioned floor to ceiling, wall to wall windows in the “served”
spaces. The remaining “servant” spaces
like closets and bathrooms are internally focused and private with skylight
illumination. The net effect is a long bar
that is alternately read as solid and void.
The garage is connected to the house by a covered
porch. A stair from the covered porch
leads to a roof deck with 360 degree views and a roof garden. Wood siding extends into the interiors of
the “served” spaces as flooring and wall and ceiling paneling to reinforce the
home’s formal simplicity while referencing the agricultural buildings that dot
the surrounding landscape.
