Location: Irvington, NY
Project Type: New Construction and Renovation
Lot Size: 90,600 sq ft
Building Size: 9,100 sq ft
Contractor: Lettieri Construction
The clients desired an enlarged home in the style of an Italian Tuscan Villa, with easy and abundant access to the outdoors, designed in order to be adaptable for future wheelchair accessibility. Though the original L-shaped foundation to their existing home was reused in the new design, it became clear that demolishing the remainder of the existing construction would be more cost effective for them.
The design is organized around a private, south-facing outdoor courtyard - a familiar element in Tuscany. The original L-shape was expanded to create two of the sides of the new courtyard, allowing both the formal living room and the informal kitchen/family room to open onto it. A new detached garage is designed to both close off the third side of the courtyard and, when wheelchair entry was needed, to allow vehicular access into the courtyard to utilize a handicapped-accessible family entrance. A formal entrance under an arched veranda is created on the north side, facing the street. The “tower,” an evocative Tuscan form, provides a third-floor study perch for the primary bedroom suite.
