Location: Scarsdale, NY
Project Type: New Construction (Front Façade Restoration)
Lot Size: 210,400 sq ft
Building Size: 22,400 sq ft
Contractor: Cum Laude Group Inc
Landscape Architect: John Doyle
Interior Designer: John Willey Design
This stunning, five-acre property was purchased with the intension of renovating the existing brick Georgian house that sat on the site. There was some historic value to the home, but while it contained a majestic central volume dating back to 1907, there was also a large, rear addition that had been added in1930 which was awkward in proportion and in very poor condition.
Given the large scope and specific requirements of the new program, it became apparent in the design process that the residence would need a significant amount of renovation and reconstruction. Clearly, razing the structure would be considerably more cost effective. In the end, after a lengthy building department process, the decision by the Historical Review Board was that the front façade of the original house was to remain. This became the starting point for the new design.
The existing entry floor level was lowered to create a minimum of 11-foot-high ceilings throughout the first floor. Similarly, the sill heights of all window and door openings on the first-floor façade were lowered, allowing for all the units to become taller and more elegantly proportioned. The central mass of the building was enhanced by the new limestone detailing and new slate roof with Yankee gutters, while two symmetrical flanking wings, built in the style of the original home, completed the formal front elevation.
Inside the front door, one is swept up under the sculptural grand stairway, with its elegant stepped platform risers, into the gracious oval entry. Behind the curved doors - concealed as raised wall panels - coat closets and the main powder room are hidden. Through the entry, one can see the perpendicular gallery, that connects the private and public wings of the house, and then out to the dramatic landscape beyond.
