Location: Scarsdale, NY
Project Type: New Construction
Lot Size: 153,400 sq ft
Building Size: 16,300 sq ft
Contractor: Brenner Builders Inc
Landscape Architect: Devore Associates
Interior Designer: HB Home Design
On this picturesque 3.5 acre lot, the project challenge was to provide a house large enough to accommodate the clients’ active five-person household while balancing its size in respect the modest scale of the neighborhood. The clients specifically expressed the desire to be environmentally respectful and sensitive.
In response, the house design is based on manipulations of massing and materials. To minimize its apparent bulk, the house projects a low profile on the site, in a style reminiscent of the Arts + Crafts movement. Much of the second story of the house is concealed under the broad roofs or set back from the first floor envelope. Horizontality is reinforced by the wide, shallow-pitched eaves and the cedar siding, through custom horizontal banding that aligns with the window mullions. The restrained palette of natural materials helps to integrate the structure into its surroundings. By bringing these same materials through to the interior and providing broad expanses of glass, the natural landscape is always evident as one moves through the house. In addition, by utilizing geothermal heating and cooling, employing a full bank of solar panels on the south-facing slope of the cabana roof, and taking advantage of energy-efficient LED lighting exclusively, the environmental footprint of the residence is greatly reduced.
