Architecture

One of the stars of New Canaan's legacy of mid-century modernism, the Wiley House, designed by Philip Johnson in the early 1950's, was restored and expanded by Roger Ferris & Partners. Johnson's double-height glass pavilion with its living room and subtly hidden but generous galley kitchen cantilevers out over the fieldstone base. The vintage swimming pool with its original diving pad is a twin to the circular pool at Johnson's Glass House. William Pitt Sotheby's International Realty, Connecticut

In the evening, the glass-clad home glows from within, an inviting presence in the forest. While the interior is highly visible, the trees and landscaping on the sloped site offer privacy for the residents.

Glazing on both sides of the home and an open floor plan allows for beautiful water and forest views throughout the living space.

The home is crafted from glass, timber, and steel—a simple yet refined palette that complements the spectacular natural setting. The deck is surrounded by lush planting that further integrates the built form into the landscape and offers a green outlook from inside, while a “Zen garden” on the lower level introduces greenery to the interior.

The clients—a family of five with three children in college—wanted to create an “urban cabin” that embraces the tranquil forested site on the shores of Lake Minnetonka. The solution was to use vast expanses of glass to dissolve the boundaries between inside and out.