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A second building serves as Murphy’s office, and it’s connected to the main residence by a custom metal trellis.

Another one of the bedrooms overlooks the shared garden and has a double-height closet.

Bischoff’s team retained the exposed brick on the interior, painting much of it white to help the space reflect sunlight. “There was an interest in having an open, more contemporary layout, but we still wanted some sense of living in this building that’s 100 years old,” Bischoff says. “That motivated us a lot to keep the brick. It’s a very subtle echo of what the house originally was.” Enclosing the ductwork would have forced the architects to lower the ceiling or install a subpar air-conditioning system. So it was left exposed, contributing to the floor’s loftlike atmosphere. New meets old with the furnishings as well: An antique barbershop pendant provides contrast to a sculptural lamp and a rug from Anthropologie. Investment buys were made with budget in mind, like the leather sofa scored at ABC Carpet & Home’s outlet store.

The compact row houses feature carefully angled solar panels that harness every moment of the sun.

A wine refrigerator and wet bar with the same finishes as the kitchen for cohesion brings more function for entertaining. “We use it more than we've ever used it before,” says Shawn. “It is no longer a dumping ground.”

The architects took chestnut trees that were felled three years ago at Château de la Bourdaisière to a local sawmill, where the logs were processed into boards for the facade.

A string of glass hallways connect the four pavilions, bringing a slice of the great outdoors inside.