THE EDGE
DESIGNED BY STUDIO MM
Kerhonkson, New York
6 guests / 3 bedrooms / 3 beds / 3 baths
From $1,089 / Night
ARCHITECTURE
Built as a peaceful escape from the city, the design focuses on an immersive connection with the outdoors, experienced progressively as one travels through the home. On the approach, the front of the home’s simple rectangular form is modest in scale, with knotty cedar siding blanketing the façade and offering privacy. Entering the home, an immediate descent to the lower level public space reveals expansive walls of windows with light flooding in, eliciting the feeling of being perched amongst the soaring trees.
Dramatic sliding glass doors lead to a spacious deck, seamlessly extending the living area and offering intimate glimpses of the tree canopy and creek below. The large windows allow sun to flood in, washing the room with delicate patterns of light and shadow as it passes through the trees. Despite expansive glazing, the seasonal tree coverage helps regulate solar heat gain. During the winter, sunlight pours in through the bare trunks, while the trees fill out in summer to provide shade.
PEOPLE
Fully immersed in nature, the home delights in sensory experiences: feeling the warmth of the sun streaming through the windows, watching dazzling shadows of trees move across the living room floor, and listening to the tranquil soundtrack of gently flowing water. A counterpoint to the noise and pace of city life, The Edge quietly demands a deliberate pause to soak in the simple pleasures of nature.
PLACE
Under the canopy of towering oaks and majestic maples, Creek House rests on the cusp of woods and water. Surrounded by seven acres of densely forested terrain, this weekend retreat sits on a precipice overlooking the creek below.
The home was strategically sited on a natural clearing to preserve as many trees as possible, with the design stepping down the hill to further minimize disruption to the land. Tucked into the hillside, the home harnesses geothermal properties of the earth, staying cool in the summer and comfortable year-round. Maintaining an intimate connection with the natural environment, the building site was pushed as close to the creek as possible, allowing the rush of water to be heard and enjoyed from every room in the house.
Photography by Paul Warchol