“I’ve observed that country living on the East Coast is more formal than the casual lifestyle of the West Coast. With Hudson Valley Residence, our goal was to express a ‘New York’ character while using materials that echo the surrounding landscape. The clients were personally involved in the entire design process and worked closely with us on every detail.” –Jim Olson, FAIA, Design Principal
Perched high on a hill, this country house in Westchester, New York overlooks the family’s property, wooded hills, and neighboring reservoirs. Framed around views of the fourteen-acre site, the design of this weekend home is based on classic proportions while incorporating modern elements suitable to its rural East Coast setting. Stone chimneys and fireplaces are juxtaposed with modern materials such as steel and copper while a formal entry sequence through a covered courtyard opens to a suspended, triple-height steel staircase. This integration of tradition and modernity lends a stately balance to the home, which is presented as an elegant object surrounded by expansive lawns.
The residence is organized into two levels and a basement, with several outdoor terraces extending off the ground level rooms. Upon entering the home, a long promenade corridor extends in either direction, housing works from the owners’ collections of art and Asian porcelain. Every vista ends in a framed view of nature subtly recalling the floral themes that decorate the porcelains. All views are complimented by the classic proportions of the home. A formal living room on the main level stands almost as a pavilion unto itself, with sliding window walls on both sides, and a double soffit ceiling with clerestory windows that accentuate the lofty verticality of the space. An informal family room on the western prow of the home is capped by the master suite above, yielding breathtaking views from both rooms all the way down the nearby reservoir. Auxiliary spaces include two guest rooms on the main level and three on the floor above, along with an upper-level exercise room, art studio and office.
Project Team: Jim Olson, FAIA, Design Principal; William Franklin, Project Manager; CJ Christensen, Project Architect; Jerry Garcia, LEED® AP, and Michelle Hamilton, LEED® AP, Architectural Staff
Key Consultants: Prutting & Company, General Contractor; Robert Silman Associates, Structural Engineer; Altieri Sebor Wieber, Mechanical and Electrical Engineer; Kellard Sessions Consulting, Civil Engineer; Edmund Hollander Landscape Architects, Landscape Architect; Richard Shaver, Lighting Design
Photography: Aaron Leitz, Nic Lehoux
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