Classical Proportions

Shade providing porch along back/south

This "New House Next Door" is almost ready for move in day! And other than the fact that I'm telling you this is a newly built structure, if you were seeing it as you drive or bike past on the road, you might think it's an established, meticulously maintained historic Hudson Valley home. (This will be even more true when the compacted earth around the construction site has a chance to recover and be landscaped!) 

Traditional Symmetrical Front Facade

The classic proportions, balanced fenestration layout, and straightforward massing may look effortless, but like many beautiful things they take careful planning, designing, and thoughtfulness to look correct. You can learn about the "Golden Rectangle" by clicking here to read the previous post about this project.

Building Placement on the Site

The client and I discussed ideas to use color and architectural details that soften what could look or feel severe with this boxy colonial form. The classic white siding was detailed to have wide trim surrounding the tall windows and doors. The exterior light fixtures are sized for grandeur, but don't feel imposing next to a pink door. The porch posts were boxed in without classical caps and bases, and instead have only a minimal base for a clean modern vibe. Organically shaped bracket supports add curved decoration without being overly gaudy or old fashioned. The metal roof and door colors were selected to feel soft and feminine. Landscaping will add another layer of softness and will contribute to making this stately home feel comfortable and refined without being stuffy. 

But of course it's not only about looks. The placement on the site, the southern covered porch, the size of the roof overhangs - all these elements work hard to make the building function well. Windows are oriented toward sun and views. Roof overhangs are sized to lend shade in the summer, while allowing sunlight to enter the interior spaces in the winter. The geothermal heating and cooling system uses the natural temps under ground to mitigate the use of fossil fuel. The placement of the small garage structure gives definition and an edge to the back yard outdoor space. Inside the rooms are spacious but homey with tall ceilings and built in details and custom woodwork and trim. This is what I love about residential architecture- we think about the form and the function. It's not just pretty in pictures, it also has to work well for comfortable living. #lovemyjob

Welcoming Front Door and Front Porch

It was so much fun to collaborate with these design-oriented clients -and our really great craftsman builder, Ken and his crew at Landers Construction- to create such a beautiful home that manages to be both traditional & modern; elegant & friendly; serious an relaxed - all at the same time.

Kudos to the entire team!

New Colonial Home

At first glance, this new house might seem like it is just re-doing an over-used style - "The Colonial"- but the truth is in the details, and this house is surely unique! A "New Net Zero Farmhouse Colonial" is under construction with CWB Architect and I will write a few blog posts over the next months to show you all what went into the design and construction of this special place.

Front/North Elevation

My clients came to me with a dream of building their family a home in the Hudson Valley. They purchased a private wooded lot and had it partially cleared. We tramped around the acreage looking for ideal placement for the detached garage, driveway, and a stately spot for the home. The solar orientation was analyzed and the soils were tested for a septic system.  From the beginning they knew they wanted the curb appeal of a traditional-looking home in a classic colonial farmhouse style. One of the things about designing a home from scratch, instead of an addition to something already built, is that you can do "anything". Having the constraint of using simple rectangular massing and strict symmetry actually gave me a nice starting point instead of a blank page.

In geometry, a golden rectangle is a rectangle whose side
lengths are in the golden ratio, which is (the Greek letter phi), where is approximately 1.618.
Golden rectangle - from Wikipedia

Since I knew it was going to be a "box", I started with the ratio known as The Golden Rectangle. Creating the square footage inside that they wanted to have, I came up with what size/proportion the floor plans and elevations could be and be close to a golden rectangle. I also used standard rules of layout for window & shutter & door placement on the front- where we had very little leeway due to the imposed style. (At the back -which is the sunny south elevation, much more fun and interesting window fenestration arrangements could occur.) Pains were taken to ensure correct vertically oriented double hung window and divided light proportions and proper alignments throughout. And of course this rigid exterior layout had to be made to work with a much more up-to-date and open interior partition layout.

South Elevation

While a straight box with a simple gable roof and white clapboard siding is what you see from the front, the south elevation facing the back has a more free arrangement of windows and a full covered  porch and to offer some summertime shade.The interior manages to be both formal/classic and friendly/warm at the same time and the open plan belies the standard "colonial" exterior face. The 10' tall public social spaces are all located along the sunny back/south and are open to each other and to the back porch and back yard. The front of first floor has a guest room, small office, bathroom, and mudroom/side entry. The second floor is grand with a wide center hall around the open stair railing and large bedrooms, but is family friendly as well with a second floor laundry room, and a cozy window seat for sitting and dreaming.

Window Trim, Metal Roof, Front Porch, and Septic System

Selection of window style: Simulated divided Light double hung units - with cottage style on the first floor are from Marvins  "Elevate" collection. Exterior materials and details are deliberately classic: white clapboard siding and trim by "James Hardi", window trim with angled sills and drip caps, standing seam metal roofing, and white bead board porch ceilings. Just wait to see some more pictures once we get the porch post wraps and support brackets and decorative gable trim and corbels!

Windows with correct proportions & traditional wide trim