Designed by Leroy Street Studio, the Hill House has been built for a client who happens to be a trustee of New York's Shelter Island Nature Conservancy. So, it should come as no surprise that great care was taken to ensure the contemporary home was respectful of its serene surroundings.

The client originally requested a house that was "sensitively knit into the site with intimate spaces for the family, as well as a large outdoor event space for entertaining." To achieve this, the team at Leroy Street Studio created a series of stone-retaining walls to form stepped terraces in the landscape, which then allowed the second level of the home to cantilever out over the walls. The elegant volumes are connected by a multi-purpose roof deck, an area that also serves as additional outdoor space.

Given that the homeowners enjoy spending time outdoors and are actively involved with the Island’s land trust, they requested a green roof and xeriscape landscaping with native plants that comply with the irrigation restrictions on Shelter Island. The house also includes space for beekeeping, as well as an area to have a chicken coop and greenhouse.

Project Credits:
Architect of Record: Leroy Street Studio / @leroystreetstudio

Builder / General Contractor: Robert Reylek, Inc.

Structural Engineer: Robert Silman Associates

Landscape Design Company: Starr Whitehouse

Lighting Design Company: Clinard Design Studio

MEP: Condon Engineering

Appears In

A Gorgeous Refuge Treads Lightly on its Surrounding Nature Reserve