Having decided to take down their existing house and build new, this client had seen a large Victorian-style house in upstate Connecticut, the character of which they found very appealing. The challenge we faced was three-fold: first, the client’s property was small and very narrow; second, their town’s height restrictions would not allow anything approaching the grand scale of the Victorian they so adored; third, the arrangement of rooms they requested varied greatly from those of the Victorian. Otherwise, everything was pretty straightforward! The house is about 3,400 square feet, and this particular project garnered two HOBI Awards, one for Best In-Town House, and one for Best Not-So-Big House.
New Home 4
We were approached by a developer looking to build a very high-end house of about 7,000 square feet. He fancied the details of an earlier house we had designed, and asked if we could incorporate some of those details into his much larger project. This particular town had a very stringent approval process for new homes, yet the Architectural Review Board was effusive in their praise of the design, as they unanimously voiced their approval.
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New Home 5
Some people prefer a very symmetrical and orderly appearance to their house. This client was taking down their old house, and looking to upsize as much as their modest lot would allow. In spite of our encouraging them to allow us to be more creative with the design, they wanted something that was, well, simple. So we obliged them, and they were very happy. Including the finished basement, this house is approximately 4,000 square feet.
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New Home 3
This client was preparing to take down their old small bungalow-style house and build new. On a very tricky steeply-sloped lot, they were looking for about 4,000 square feet, and wanted something that had New England charm, but was completely maintenance-free on the exterior. Our most daunting challenge here was giving the client the requested basement-level access on the front of the house, while working within the town’s restrictions regarding building height and number of stories. The solution entailed a creative manipulation of the grades on the site, while tucking the house gently into the hillside at the rear. A careful look at the photographs will also reveal vinyl shingle siding, and a combination of composite and aluminum trim. The client was more than pleased to retire his ladder and paint brush.
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New Home 2
This client had purchased an undeveloped piece of property that fronted both a main street and a side street. They wanted their new house to be about 3,200 square feet in size, with four bedrooms, and they wanted it to present itself nicely to the main street, but to have the front entrance on the side street. They liked the idea of many different roof lines, and thought that it might be fun to have a turret element. The rest they left up to us, and the end result was worthy of a HOBI Award in the category of Best Custom Home between 3,000 and 4,000 square feet.
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New Pool House 6
This gorgeous property in New Canaan had only one drawback — the old, simplistic, deteriorating Pool House that occupied a prominent location between the pool and tennis court. The client entrusted us to replace that structure with something that would provide more functional space for their lifestyle, but also, and perhaps more importantly, they wanted to create a gem in the landscape that was both inspiring and welcoming. Incorporating design elements and materials used in the main house, while also responding to the client's wishes to not oversize the structure, we crafted a modest pavilion that shines brightly for all who gaze upon it.
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New Home 7
With an expansive property hidden away in the hills of northeast Pennsylvania, this client wanted to build a 3,000 square foot house that had the appearance and feel of a more modestly-sized mountain lodge. They had an idea of room sizes and arrangements, but weren’t sure how to translate that into a three-dimensional form. To keep the massing smaller, we were able to tuck the entire second floor of the house under a one-story roof with the use of dormers and a long covered porch. The finished product seems to fit very comfortably into its forested setting.
