This weekend getaway in upstate New York is no arthritic farmhouse
or creaking saltbox. It was recently born, rather, almost as a kit,
brought to this rocky, wooded plot in prefabricated parts, bolted
together and, once finally assembled, clad in an envelope of soft wood
panels so that modern and rustic were at one.
The daring double-footprint project consists of a garage connected by
a sculptural bridge to the main, three-level structure built to
accommodate a large, boisterous family. As well as utility rooms, the
basement includes an art studio and children’s playroom. A mostly
open-plan ground floor offers a kitchen, dining and living area and an
office. A wall of folding doors can be opened entirely onto the tantalizing indoor pool with woodland views to create a single merged
space as inviting in winter as it is in summer. Upstairs in a building
suffused with natural light thanks to over-sized windows, there are three
bedrooms and three bathrooms as well as a study and a sweeping terrace
with mountain views. The two-car garage also offers a top floor which
is a studio for meditation, yoga and is complemented by a terrace. With
ecological responsibility in mind, the pool eschews chlorine and other
chemical cleansers in favor of an ozone filtration system.
Linking the terraces of each of the two structures is the bridge,
which commands attention all of its own. Consisting of a single tilted
stanchion and cables that suspend the walkway, it takes its inspiration
from the angles, orientation and axis of the main building to which it
leads.