Drumlin House + Studio

Situated atop a drumlin - a hill of sediment dragged by glacial flows - outside Germantown New York, this house and studio for two artists is fixated on the concept of generating three flexible spaces.

The first, in the shell of an existing ranch house on the property, removes partitions to create a single large room with views off the drumlin to the east and west simultaneously. Small partition-objects provide anchors for key moments of entry, security, and socializing, but otherwise the remainder of the house was untouched.

The second space is a standalone art studio - a simple box made from engineered timber, hemp insulation, and recyclable aluminum corrugated siding (similar to most outbuildings in the agricultural areas of the Hudson Valley), and a concrete slab that absorbs carbon dioxide. The studio is an irregular rhomboid, extending the northern facade to bring in light through clerestory windows, while limiting southern heat gain with a large overhang and more limited openings.

The third space is the back yard of the property: the studio was sited to generate a courtyard condition facing west towards the Catskill Mountains, unifying the house and studio into a single compound.

Contractor: Lydon Builders Inc.