Hudson Valley Residence / HGX
- Curated by Paula Pintos
GERMANTOWN, UNITED STATES
- Architects: HGX
- Area: 7300 ft²
- Year: 2022
- Photographs:Peter Aaron, Scott Frances
- Manufacturers: Erco, Arclinea, B&B Italia, Fantini, Karen Pearse Global , OpenAWD , Sullivan Source, Toto, Viabizzuno, VitrA
- Construction Company: Pete Mostaccio
- Structural Engineering: DiSalvo Erickson
- Civil Engineering: Crawford Associates
- Landscape Architects: Wagner Hodgson
- Lighting Consultant: Claude R. Engle Lighting Consultant
- HVAC: Crawford Associates
- Managing Partner: Hal Goldstein
- Lead Designers: Hal Goldstein, Stefan Kusurelis
- General Contractor : CofH Builders Inc.
- City: Germantown
- Country: United States
Text description provided by the architects. Hudson Valley Residence is a ground-up home built on a ridge overlooking the Catskill Mountains. The home was commissioned for a client with multiple residences who envisioned a retreat providing scenic views of the surrounding mountains, serenity, and a gathering place for family. The centerpiece of a 35-acre property, the elongated home runs from north to south on the highest point of the property, with views of the mountain range to the west.
Set among the rolling hills of primarily rural farmland, access to Hudson Valley Residence II winds its way up a hillside to a front entry court on top of a ridge. Expansive glass paneling immediately draws attention to the home, while simultaneously framing the mountainous horizon beyond. In contrast to the vertical ascent, and the massive verticality of the mountain range to the west, the home itself extends horizontally along the entirety of the ridge. Comprised of a series of utilitarian, simple-form buildings with a repetitive vertical rhythm, the home’s elongated footprint is reminiscent of the long, low-lying characteristics of agricultural buildings that dot the surrounding regional landscape.
A seamless blend of earth and sky. Custom-stained external cedar siding, a classic and durable material, provides an inspirational nod to the character of the home’s agricultural neighbors. The siding harmoniously blends with 13-foot glass panels that provide the home with breathtaking transparency, and the materials interact with the sun to capture the colors of the surrounding earth and sky.
Devoid of any roof overhang, the cedar siding, the glass panels, and their interactions with the elements collectively ensure minimal separation between the interior and exterior, and contribute greatly to the ambiance of the residence. On hot, sunny days, natural light filters through the expansive windows to interact with the silvery wash of the interior’s custom-stained walnut flooring, infusing cooler accents of blue into the interior. At night, or when the weather outside is cooler, warmer tones emerge from the color and material palette.
Through its floor-to-ceiling windows, and an elongated skylight, the home is laid out to capture morning sunlight from the east, and the setting sun to the west, helping define distinct spaces within a wide-open floorplan.
Transparent boundaries. The intimacy of the home’s smartly laid out spaces defy the traditional expectations of an open plan, with 11.5-foot ceilings throughout. Each space is just one room deep, or approximately 28 feet wide, injecting a uniform purity into the totality of the volumes. Separations are defined by sunlight during the day, and artificial light at night, and the free-flowing spaces benefit from airflow from east to west, as well as north to south. There are no barriers to the visual or physical flow of the home, and a series of internal textures, including brickwork and exposed ceiling beams, further, soak up the elements to introduce their unique interactive qualities.
Bookended by a master suite at one end of the home, and a series of three guest accommodations at the other, the interior includes a dining room, a kitchen, and a living room in the central portion, as well as a basement with a gym and media room, and a garage. Weaving through the central living spaces, select works of art from the client’s private collection are strategically positioned to provide surprises at every turn.
Distinctions of light. In the evening, the home’s external façade blends into its surrounding environment, while the interior comes to life like a carefully curated gallery. A warm glow emanates from pools of light within the larger volumes, creating focal points that extend beyond the spaces they occupy to greet visitors arriving from the external entry court.
Artificial lighting is kept to a minimum, with recessed lighting focusing on the art, walls, and centers of activity within the house. Between the living spaces, lighting levels drop off, further contributing to perceptions of separation between a series of intimately lit spaces. A few decorative fixtures are also strategically placed to provide added focus and intimacy to the spaces they illuminate.
