Located in United States, Salt Point House was designed by Thomas Phifer and Partners is a private home that surrounded by a great landscape in New York’s Hudson Valley. Relatively solid on the long north and south facades, the 2200 square foot house that constructed of elegantly efficient and economical materials opens to the landscape to the east and west. On the eastern end, tucked into the surrounding woods, a double height entry/stair hall welcomes guests and allows for an immediate understanding of the home’s organization: living spaces downstairs, sleeping and work spaces upstairs. At the west end a double height porch connects the two levels, extending the living area downstairs while allowing views to the lake from the bedrooms upstairs.

From the lower level living spaces, continuous slot windows in the north and south walls frame distinct views of the landscape, connecting the house to its surroundings. At the upper level, carefully sculpted skylight enclosures offer glimpses of the changing sky throughout the day and night.

To allow for economy in construction, the massing of the house is a compact, rectangular box. All of the building and finish materials were carefully selected for function, durability, and especially, economy. At the interior, the walls, floors, and ceilings are all clad in economical and durable maple plywood. Custom furniture pieces and interior cabinetry are constructed of the same plywood. Standard, commercial fluorescent light fixtures are recessed into narrow slots in the plywood to provide inexpensive, but elegant lighting.

Exterior stainless steel screen panels on the north and south facades are held a few inches off the main structure to protect the house from the extremes of both the summer sun and the winter winds. The perforated screens shade the exterior face of the house creating a thermal buffer which helps to keep the interior cool.

The house was carefully sited to take advantage of the prevailing summer breezes. Strategically placed operable windows and ventilating skylights allow the breeze to flow through the home. The natural ventilation at the interior in combination with the shading effect of the exterior sunscreens work together to keep the house comfortable, without air conditioning, throughout the warm summer months.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 26th, 2009 at 12:44 pm and is filed under Home Design Ideas. Tags: Exterior stainless steel screen panels, home design, house design, Hudson Valley, New York, private home, Salt Point House, Thomas Phifer, Thomas Phifer and Partners design, United States. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.