Cold Spring Residence

Jared and Carolina Della Valle, an architect/developer and artist respectively, have created an idyllic weekend retreat in which to lose themselves high in the Hudson River Valley. Developed on eleven acres overlooking the Hudson River Valley in Cold Spring, New York, this family retreat is the product of architect Jared Della Valle, principal of the Dumbo-based development practice, Alloy Development. The design intent was driven by the high sustainability standards of Della Valle’s own children; a wariness of the environmental effect of a second home led Jared to task himself with creating a building with minimal impact that sits thoughtfully within its surroundings.

When Jared had the opportunity to buy 11 acres in Cold Spring, New York near Carolina's familial roots, the structure each had in mind was oriented specifically for that: family. Coming of age in a time filled with great anxiety about our planet, he took their daughters’ input in mind, taking great care to consider every consumption decision and environmental impact in the building’s planning and construction.

The purpose of Alloy has always been guided by professionals who want to positively contribute to the built environment, often with sustainability at the forefront of the designs of our projects. The design for the Cold Spring home was an intimate exploration of family values and place that informed Alloy’s choice to develop New York City’s first two passive house schools at 489 State Street and Brooklyn’s first all-electric skyscraper at 100 Flatbush Avenue.

The resulting 4,500-square-foot modern home is built to passive house standards. The family limited their impact by preserving all-natural resources on the site and constructed an indigenous landscape, planting a meadow that fills the surrounding land with native flowers and grasses throughout the year. A full solar array provides year-round energy, while site water resources are managed carefully. The choice of materials and details throughout the building are deliberately simple, local and unfussy in order to focus the experience on the natural beauty of the landscape and the Della Valle’s time spent together.

The house is constructed of raw concrete and pine finished with a natural tar that prevents bug infestation and is resistant to woodpeckers.. A cantilevered upper floor houses the bedrooms and is designed to provide optimal sunlight and shade for the living spaces on the lower floor. In addition, a two-story deep skylight brings light to the kitchen area below. Accessed by steps that double as built-in seating, an outdoor terrace was designed lower than the house in order to ensure an uninterrupted view of the Hudson River Valley from inside. An outdoor shower is a repurposed steel pipeline Jared found upstate. Bleached oak was used inside the home, and the striking concrete walls were achieved by using old forms that create imperfections and color inconsistencies – a subtle decoration that also shows off how it is made.

The interior design of the home was led by Rebecca Robertson and Yvette Gonzales of RR Interiors. Pieces designed by Jared and fabricated by Braga Woodworks are exhibited throughout, including a platform bed and custom dining table. Additionally, a custom Suar dining table for the outdoor patio was designed by Jared and RR Interiors and made in Thailand. The interior furnishings present a soft but muted color palate to complement the home’s industrial architecture. Modern light fixtures, including from Foscarini and Flos, illuminate the home. Robertson, who is well-versed in antique furnishings and one-of-a-kind finds, incorporated some of these pieces around the interior spaces as a foil to the more contemporary furnishings.

The simplicity of the materials and spaces is also conducive to low maintenance, giving the family more time to relax and enjoy each other’s company, while also paying extraordinary respect to the environment that surrounds them.