Every now and then we have the chance to turn an existing structure into something really special. When our clients bought this house, built in 2000, for use as a weekend retreat, they knew it needed a complete overhaul – and that it had some excellent features to work with. For starters, its mountaintop setting on 17 spectacular acres overlooking the Hudson River and valley is one of a kind. The house itself was spacious but dreary. We proposed two different approaches to bring in light, to connect the place with its natural setting and to improve the flow within the house.  Large windows and interior space open to the roof are central to both schemes, and we’ve added things like new cladding, for a clean look and energy efficiency, and cutting-edge mechanical systems to lessen environmental impact.

Our first approach – an extreme makeover – involved removing the entire roof, reapportioning the second-floor layout, and creating a central living space that would draw together all areas and elements of the house. Glass at either end of the space would bring the outside in, and offer spectacular views. We proposed new high-performance, high-efficiency mechanical systems, too.

Covering all our bases in this tepid economy, we also proposed a modest makeover, one that would likewise transform the dark interiors, but at much lower cost. In this scenario, we would modify the roof only in the reorganized central living area, replacing dormers with a central gable and revealing an exposed roof line from front to back. For further savings, we’d reuse existing cabinets and materials wherever possible.

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The Presidents house and conference center for the State University of NY at Stony Brook. Built on the former site of the Melville Mansion.

Click here to download a PDF of the New York Times article about this project.

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