© Albert Večerka/Esto
- Architects: Weiss/Manfredi
- Location: Tuxedo Park, NY 10987, United States
- Team: Marion Weiss, AIA, and Michael A. Manfredi, AIA (Design Partners); Michael Blasberg, RA; Lee Lim, and Hamilton Hadden, RA (Project Architects)
- Area: 4800.0 ft2
- Project Year: 2014
- Photographs: Albert Večerka/Esto, Jeff Goldberg/Esto
- Consulting Architect:: Michael DeCandia Architects / Michael DeCandia (Principal); John Cunniffe (Project Architect)
- Civil Engineer: Thomas W. Skrable, PE
- Structural Engineer Roof: Weidlinger Associates
- Structural Engineer: Cowley Engineering
- Lighting: Brandston Partnership
- General Contractor: Longeri Construction
© Albert Večerka/Esto
The McCann Residence is located on a former hunting-and-fishing preserve oriented around three glacial lakes and distinguished by a number of estates designed by prominent architects at the turn of the 19th century. Dense forests and rocky outcroppings characterize this landscape in the Ramapo Mountains.
© Albert Večerka/Esto
The site is defined by two massive granite escarpments and metered by a series of retaining walls quarried on site that echo the historic stone walls prevalent throughout Tuxedo Park. The design celebrates the extreme topography of the site, which defines the sectional development of the house.
© Jeff Goldberg/Esto
Three enclosed living levels and a sequence of outdoor terraces are organized in an ascending route. The lower level includes a garden room and exterior entry courtyard. An exterior stepped ramp rises to the main entry level, which includes a foyer, library, and guest bedroom. A double-height stair hall connects the main level to the upper garden level—a loft-like glass pavilion with panoramic vistas of Tuxedo Lake. This level features a sequence of platforms for living, kitchen and dining, and a master bedroom. The terraced gardens create open-air “rooms” defined by the arc of the house and the granite outcropping.
Plan
The design features a material palette noted for its ability to weather over time—custom bronze screens filter light and maximize privacy and the granite walls, mined from a nearby quarry, are constructed from the same stone as the escarpment. Blurring the connection between landscape and architecture, the McCann Residence embraces its historic setting by introducing a new inhabitable topography.
© Albert Večerka/Esto
Section
© Jeff Goldberg/Esto
Sig Nordal 