contain the garage, the public spaces, and the private bedrooms. The garage was located toward the east, the more
private bedroom wing toward the front, street-facing side
of the house, and the open kitchen, living, and dining area
at the back, where a glass wall provides an unfettered view
of the landscape.
“From the [back] exterior, it’s a glass box in a green
field, while the front reads much more solid,” says Alessi.
This arrangement left a large interior core that housed a
powder room, laundry, and pantry that had little natural
light, a problem Alessi solved with three interior clerestory
windows that filter sunlight from the main space.
In the living area, the ceiling stretches to a dramatic
15 feet high in spots. “The volume embraces the view and
welcomes the southwesterly light,” says Alessi. A large
bank of windows and doors wraps the south and west corners of the house, connecting the large, open living area to
a deck, making the indoor and outdoor spaces seem as one.
“To achieve a very smart, energy-efficient design, you
have to put a lot of thought and money into windows,” says
Martin, who closely collaborated with Alessi on the deci-
sion to import triple-glazed windows and doors from Slo-
vakia. High-performance and available in custom sizes,
the windows and doors were tailored to fit the various over-
size openings. “It was very important that the house be
comfortable during both the summer and winter,” says
Alessi, explaining that the windows’ extremely high ther-
mal properties mean that even on a cold winter evening,
a person standing next to them feels no heat loss. For hot
summer days, Alessi designed a metal sunscreen above the
windows on the south side of the exterior to provide shade
and avert overheating.
The structure exudes a Modern sensibility, yet it also
recedes into the agrarian setting. Cedar siding is accented
by a band of native fieldstone that wraps around the base
the master bathroom’s large-scale vanity (above left) is
made of white Corian inset with a striking band of walnut. The
wall of the shower stall is sheathed in ceramic tile. In the master
bedroom (above right), Eero Saarinen’s classic Womb Chair
provides a pop of bright color to the minimal decor.
