This house is nestled into a cliff overlooking a lake in a historic residential community near Sterling Forest in New York State. The design responded to the client’s desire to celebrate nature without disturbing it, and a large percentage of the site was left untouched by the new construction. Composed of locally quarried granite with sustainable mahogany wood windows, the house cantilevers over the cliff’s rock face, framing views of the lake and the distant hills. A cantilevered canopy with frosted glass extends over the terrace to allow for outdoor living even in inclement weather. On the inland side of the site, the house encloses two sides of an outdoor court that preserves the existing terrain and trees, creating a sense of peace between interior and exterior spaces. Green roofs serve to replace vegetation removed during construction, help absorb rainfall, and regulate the indoor temperature.
Judy Olson Dunne was the interior designer.