In 2003 the owners purchased this 16-acre parcel in the Hudson Valley, with the idea of building a family retreat for year-round use. The land is rocky and densely wooded, sloping in an east-west direction, alternating steep sections with flat areas near the top. For almost ten years they used the land as a summertime campsite while formulating a vision for the buildings and how the property would be used.
The visitor arrives from the north, seeing a relatively closed façade on the main house, a shed and a studio building. The main house opens to the south, and is designed into the hillside to maintain a low profile in the landscape. Its sleeping rooms all face the rising sun. The studio and its sauna on the west define a south-facing garden-court at the center of the composition. The buildings on the site were designed to use local materials, natural finishes and sustainable strategies for heating and ventilation.