Stony Hill

The goal of the project was to reference the agrarian history of the site in the architecture and landscape design, principally by dividing the site into zones in a similar fashion to the original pasture parcels. In the same way that the parcels had different maturities of grasses due to the rotating grazing, the scale and density of the plantings in each zone were designed to vary based on modern needs: high grasses and shrubs provide a visual and acoustic buffer from the road, medium height grasses screen the house from the approach, and low grass and groundcover open up views where appropriate. To emphasize the historic connections to the pasture, the planting zones that line the approach are elevated, bringing the grasses to eye level along the entry walk for a unique experience passing through them.The massing of the house is broken up into smaller volumes, each of which relate to one of the landscape zones: public spaces, private spaces, and guest or service spaces. The interconnected gabled structures reference the connected barn vernacular precedent but are adapted for a modern experience. The steep roof pitches allow for ample second floor space uninterrupted by collar ties. These traditional gable forms are subverted by cuts through the ridge to bring in natural light.

© Bates Masi Architects – Project involvement included: Interior elevations, enlarged details, enlarged wall sections, finish schedule/plumbing fixture coordination