DUTCHESS COUNTY HOUSE

Location: Dutchess County, New York
Type: Residential - Two Family, Ground Up
Status: Schematic Study
Size: 10,000 SF
Client: Undisclosed
Team: Miroslava Brooks, Daniel Markiewicz

As the global population grows older and the composition of households continues to evolve beyond the traditional ‘nuclear family’, it is crucial to challenge our conception of a single-family house and consider alternative strategies for multi-generational and communal living.

This project is part of our ongoing exploration into communal living within a rural setting. The original design study was created for two families that were interested in building a shared set of homes in Dutchess County, New York. FORMA was approached and produced the following sketches intended to start the conversation with the clients. The initial approach was to create a bold and clear architectural gesture within the stunning natural landscape of tall trees and stone walls, which are ubiquitous in the area.

Combining three typological elements: 1. house structure, 2. stone wall, 3. open meadow, the studies included living areas for the two families as well as a shared set of communal indoor and outdoor spaces. Each study proposed a symbiotic relationship between the architecture and the forest through the use of a clear organizational strategy - a square, a line, and a circle - offering various approaches to co-habitation.