The architect's connection to the landscape, reflected in purposeful design

Shiplap walls adorn the master suite along with a modern gas fireplace and a large wooden chandelier. The Phillip Jefferies wallpaper integrates a muted, oyster shell pattern represent the oyster beds found in the nearby pond — which can be seen from the private deck.

In all of our designs, we take our inspiration from the natural environment, the wildlife ecosystem and personal history or attachment to the property. It’s important for us to find the architect’s connection to the landscape and have it reflected in our designs. Everything we do is site-specific. There is no formula. Every home is an individual, stand-alone concept that gives us purpose as architects.

Initially, each home plan is referred to by its numbered address. However, as the construction progresses and the home becomes part of the natural environment, someone on the team will spontaneously give the project a nickname that resonates with the rest of us. Each one of our homes earns its name and establishes its own identity.

Osprey

Wrapped in nature, large trees and 5 perennial gardens with black-eyed susans and Russian sage provide beauty at all hours of the day and in all seasons.

The Osprey property is surrounded by a breath-taking water environment and a teeming wildlife ecosystem. It was not difficult to understand why bald eagles, great blue herons and egrets chose this place as their home. The home earned its name when one morning while walking the property, I noticed some fish bones at my feet. I looked up to see who was responsible and was surprised to see a huge osprey sitting proudly on her nest. I dubbed the project, Osprey, and the name stuck.

The spectacular, two-story family room features a floor-to-ceiling, stone hearth and custom-made, native driftwood chandelier. The room opens up onto its own private porch with remarkable views.

The home has many of its rooms decorated to reflect the wildlife outdoors. There is a large custom-designed chandelier in the family room inspired by an osprey’s nest and the master bedroom wallpaper integrates a muted, oyster shell pattern that represents the oyster beds found in the inlet seen out the window. Outside, perennial gardens surround the property and blend into the natural landscape.

Waterside

The property hugs a small inlet of The Long Island Sound with astounding water views to the east, west and north.

Like most of the homes we design, Waterside’s architecture was also driven by a property feature — a vast abundance of natural light that reveals the architect’s connection to the landscape elements. By paying close attention to the home’s orientation to the sun, and ensuring that almost every room had access to sunlight, we were able to practically eliminate the use of artificial light during the day. With astounding vistas on three sides of the property, we also designed every room in the house to have a magnificent view of the water. This doubled the complexity of the home’s orientation but we made it work.

The house and landscaping were designed to maintain the health of the iconic beech tree during the building phase.

The true inspiration for the home was actually an old, European beech tree growing right where the house was planned to be built. Designing the new home around its massive trunk, and being ever-mindful of the tree’s health during construction was of utmost importance. The dining room has a front-row view of the tree and at sunset, the landscape lighting slowly comes up to enhance the perennial garden surrounding its trunk. The entire design of the home was created around saving this incredible beech tree and capturing the essence of the property on which it grows.

Three Sisters

This unique home was imagined for the owner’s desire for some peace and quiet on the weekends. Once colonial farmland, it’s still used to grow grasses for livestock feed. Grazing deer and wild turkey are a common sight.

During the summer, Aspen trees hide the meadows with golden leaves. In winter, the views extend far into the distance to reveal an old, red barn from another time. The owner fell in love with the barn and wanted to be reminded of the history of the property whenever possible. Our team designed the home with different perspectives of this structure from around the house, including a breathtaking view from the master shower.

A simple, understated, view of the modernist kitchen.

Three Sisters reflects rural life, inside and out. There are a traditional barn-style garage and a floor-to-ceiling, stone fireplace. Antique, reclaimed-wood posts define interior open areas without blocking internal sightlines, and a large painting of a chicken guards the kitchen. Preserving the historical and natural aesthetics of this property puts it among our favorite legacy projects.