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Collection by William Lamb

Empire State of Modern: 7 Upstate New York Houses

Where does Upstate New York begin? Ask a New York City dweller and they are likely to tell you that "Upstate" means anything north of the Cross-Westchester Expressway. Wherever its southern boundary lies, there is plenty of Upstate New York to go around and, as it turns out, plenty of noteworthy residential architecture, too. Here, from Dwell's archives, are some of our favorite Empire State houses.

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When he became the dean of Syracuse University's School of Architecture in 2004, Mark Robbins made a plan to help the city and, potentially, the entire country. “I wanted to see if we could build houses that simultaneously made propositions about sustainability and about the possibility of constructing houses in a city like Syracuse,” Robbins said. The result was three green homes for $200,000 each and the promise of more to come. Read more about the central New York project here.
When he became the dean of Syracuse University's School of Architecture in 2004, Mark Robbins made a plan to help the city and, potentially, the entire country. “I wanted to see if we could build houses that simultaneously made propositions about sustainability and about the possibility of constructing houses in a city like Syracuse,” Robbins said. The result was three green homes for $200,000 each and the promise of more to come. Read more about the central New York project here.
To manage costs, Yarinsky and Bernheimer kept things simple. Fiber cement panels and corrugated aluminum, coated with a clear textured finish to prevent corrosion, were used for the exterior.
To manage costs, Yarinsky and Bernheimer kept things simple. Fiber cement panels and corrugated aluminum, coated with a clear textured finish to prevent corrosion, were used for the exterior.
The Pine Plains, New York, home of Elise and Arnold Goodman boasts 48 windows, the largest of which measures 8'6'' by 7'6''. As architect Preston Scott Cohen explains, the "free facade makes it impossible to identify how many levels there are, or even to tell the difference between a door and a window." From without, the windows reveal dramatic glimpses of the 18th-century barn farm and new steel structure that support the house. From within, says Elise, "Each season, each time of day, offers a different view of the world. It's spectacular."
The Pine Plains, New York, home of Elise and Arnold Goodman boasts 48 windows, the largest of which measures 8'6'' by 7'6''. As architect Preston Scott Cohen explains, the "free facade makes it impossible to identify how many levels there are, or even to tell the difference between a door and a window." From without, the windows reveal dramatic glimpses of the 18th-century barn farm and new steel structure that support the house. From within, says Elise, "Each season, each time of day, offers a different view of the world. It's spectacular."
The past can be intimidating for architects working in older cities with limited examples of contemporary design, but Adam Sokol has managed to push a new look forward in Buffalo, New York, with his Birdhouse. Completed in 2011, the residence replaces a vacant lot on Bird Avenue—a rare opportunity for new construction in a healthy neighborhood defined by its collection of century-old infrastructure.
The past can be intimidating for architects working in older cities with limited examples of contemporary design, but Adam Sokol has managed to push a new look forward in Buffalo, New York, with his Birdhouse. Completed in 2011, the residence replaces a vacant lot on Bird Avenue—a rare opportunity for new construction in a healthy neighborhood defined by its collection of century-old infrastructure.
Tom Givone's current weekend abode, nicknamed the Floating Farmhouse, is—so far—his capstone project, a synthesis of personal taste, material experimentation, and historically sensitive restoration: a living laboratory for how to bring the vernacular past into the present.
Tom Givone's current weekend abode, nicknamed the Floating Farmhouse, is—so far—his capstone project, a synthesis of personal taste, material experimentation, and historically sensitive restoration: a living laboratory for how to bring the vernacular past into the present.
Cook and Compa turned a carport into a breezeway, adding patio furniture and an orange bench to give the space a dash of color. Along with the patio, it adds 1,300 square feet of usable space during the warmer months.
Cook and Compa turned a carport into a breezeway, adding patio furniture and an orange bench to give the space a dash of color. Along with the patio, it adds 1,300 square feet of usable space during the warmer months.