Northwest Peach Farm

Taken from Bates Masi Architects project page:

This residence is primarily used when the clients’ extended family comes from England for long visits. They come to relax and to reconnect with their family and with nature, away from city crowds and traffic, at a retreat they neither want nor need to leave for a month. The design objective was to make every day of that month unique by providing a range of destinations within the site with diverse scales, functions, and views: from gathering in the expansive living room overlooking the fields of the former peach orchard to reading alone on a shaded bench between the library and the edge of the forest. Multiple paths and hallways connect each destination, further increasing variety. Finally, each detail and custom furnishing is designed to make mundane rituals into thoughtful events.

For example, in the kitchen, rolling cutting boards ride in tracks down the long island, turning meal preparation into an assembly line for everyone’s participation. Those not cooking can make a selection from the wine room where the bottles cast a pattern of shadows through a glazed wall into the main entrance. The dining table can be configured for the evening: stainless steel tubes running the length of the table can be rotated to reveal candleholders, flower vase holders, or flat surfaces for hot dishes. At other times, the tubes can be removed and the trough filled with ice for chilling drinks. For a change of pace, there is dining on the roof deck at sunset, barbequing on the terrace, lunch in the shade of the pool house canopy, or breakfast in the screened porch. Each space is unique, making each meal special.

Even the morning routine becomes an event. In the kids’ rooms, a ribbon of stone traces their morning ritual. Starting as a nightstand by the bed, it becomes a bench for their pile of clothes, a desk for checking their email, a sink in the bathroom, and, finally, the shower floor. In the parents’ master closet, hidden steel hooks pivot up from the mahogany bench to hang the day’s outfit choices.

The clients wanted this to be a gathering place for their family, full of memories for generations to come. Thus the materials were chosen not only for durability but also for their gradual changes over many years. The copper siding and roofing will slowly turn green as the weathering limestone becomes darker. However, the window system will stand the test of time unchanged. An English company has manufactured the same industrial steel windows for over 150 years and many early examples are still in tact. A geothermal heating and cooling system, green roofs, organic finishes, and triple glazed windows will minimize the structure’s environmental impact over the generations.

The clients look forward to many tranquil summers together with their family in the house.

In a market that treats houses as commodities, designed to maximize resale value after a few summers of enjoyment, the owners of this home have a uniquely long-term vision. Coming from a European perspective, the owners think of a country home in terms of generations, not seasons. They want the house to be a venue for their young childrens’ future weddings and a playground for the grandchildren they hope for someday. The home is to be a family heirloom.

To remain a treasured heirloom despite changing fashions and styles, the design of the home must be timeless. On a former peach farm, the house is comprised of a series of gable-roofed pavilions that appear to have accumulated over time. The size and form of each piece are in keeping with more modest vernacular buildings. Similarly, the siding references local building traditions in texture and scale. These traditional forms are subtly adapted in this house to establish its own rare and timeless character.

The materials and systems were chosen to withstand the elements with little or no maintenance. The life span of the copper shingles cladding the roof and walls is over 100 years. The doors and windows were selected with durability in mind as well. A British company has manufactured the same industrial steel windows for over 150 years with many early examples still in use. Future energy concerns are addressed with a geothermal heating and cooling system, green roofs, and triple glazed windows.

To further knit the house together with the family, it is designed to slowly change over time with them. As the extended family gathers for their annual visits, they will notice the copper shingles slowly changing from brown to green and the weathering limestone transitioning from cream to brown. And as the family’s cherished wine collection grows over time, the pixelated pattern of shadows the bottles cast on a glazed wall of the entry will gradually expand.

The final means of establishing the house as an heirloom is to design it to encourage lasting family memories. Towards that end, unique details transform daily rituals into memorable events. In the kitchen, rolling cutting boards ride in tracks down the long island, turning meal preparation into an assembly line for everyone’s participation. The dining table can be reconfigured to make every meal special. Stainless steel tubes running the length of the table can be rotated to reveal candleholders, flower vase holders, or flat surfaces for hot dishes. For parties, the tubes can be removed and the trough filled with ice for chilling drinks. The house surrounds a large lawn, terraced to create large area for play, or for a future wedding.

The clients look forward to many summers together in the house, each one made more memorable by thoughtful design.