House in the Woods

This home represents the combination of two sides of the construction industry, that come together in the woods outside of Cazenovia, New York to create a special family home. At the very beginning of the project the owners enlisted the talents of neighbors and friends, local Amish timber framing craftsmen. Once the design of the home was set, large White Pines from the site were felled and milled into the timber frame. The Amish crew then raised the frame, joining each piece by hand with Oak dowels. This frame rests on a concrete slab sitting on eight inches of high-density subgrade foam, and then clad with thick Neopor filled structural insulated panels (SIPs) for walls and roofs. Walls also received an additional layer of mineral wool insulation to ensure there were no thermal bridges at panel splices and door and window openings. All exterior doors and windows are triple glazed, triple sealed European products. The mechanical system consists of an energy recovery ventilator (ERV) and highly efficient air to air heat pumps. The second floor of the home features Oak and Cherry flooring milled from trees from the building site, and the façade is clad in rot and bug resistant Black Locust wood. The combination of high-tech infrastructure and envelope components, with local sourced materials and time-tested craftsmanship creates a unique modern home with warmth and character, and a small carbon footprint.