House in Taghkanic
Taghkanic, NY, USA
2008

Built on a 120-acre property of undisturbed forest, the House on the Taghkanic is suspended between two large rock outcroppings, overlooking the Hudson Valley.  The house was conceived as perched upon these two rocks at the edge of the cliff, anchoring a bridge with an elevated walkway connecting the two promontories.  The bridge is an integral part of the structure of the house, forming a horizontal datum with the public functions below and the private bedrooms above.  Because the house connects the paths found naturally on the site, it can be seen as an extension of the existing topographical character of the site.

The protracted approach to the house follows a mile long meandering path through a dense deciduous forest.  The rugged, stony landscape obscures the view of the valley, building anticipation that is finally released as the viewer enters the main living area of the house, which suddenly opens up to reveal a panoramic vista of the Hudson Valley. Cantilevering over the edge of the cliff, each room is oriented to frame spectacular views of the natural landscape. The master bedroom is nestled against one of the boulders with views opening to the valley to the west, while the guest bedroom has a framed view of the dramatic bedrock to the east, which was left in its natural state.  In section, the two parallel bars that form the volumes of the house step vertically and slide horizontally to conform to the contours of the landscape.

The house was built on concrete piers with the intention of minimizing the disturbance to the original topography while fully integrating the structure with the landscape.  The naturally occurring bluestone that was taken from the site during excavation was then cut down into horizontal strips and incorporated into the house as part of the fireplace and as exterior cladding.  The white cedar siding will weather over time to a light grey and the copper roof will oxidize to black and green tones.  

The design of the house responds to the climactic conditions of the site.  In the winter, the south west facing glass façade allows for optimum light and promotes solar heat gain while the solid thermal mass of the northeast side of the house provides insulation and a buffer from the winds. The narrowness of the house promotes natural ventilation daylighting.

Credits:

Design Team: Toshiko Mori, Alexandra Barker, Wendy Cronk, Sonya Lee
Contractor: C & L General Construction
Structural: Rodney Gibble Consulting Engineers
Civil: Crawford & Associates Engineering
Landscape: Reed Hilderbrand
Geotechnical: Dente Engineering

Photographs © Iwan Baan