HouseCopake (United States)

Towards the end of Sky Top Road and tucked away at the end of a long driveway sits The Nine-Square House. A modernist masterpiece, the home is perched amidst dramatic natural topography with magnificent views of the Taconic Hills. The Nine-Square House was born of a several-year-long collaboration between a multi-disciplinary artist/designer and an esteemed architect. The result is an immensely livable and sustainable 3,900 square-foot home that carefully balances the relationship between its well thought out interiors and the surrounding wooded landscapes and impressive open views of multiple mountain ranges. Every feature of the home was conceived to be both functional and pleasing to the eye; after all, the team behind the house spent more than two years planning a design that addressed every conceivable ergonomic and environmental question. The nine-square philosophy of living is very much felt in the distribution of spaces - on the main floor, the double living room, dining area, and kitchen all flow into each other and are anchored by a marble fireplace and three large glass doors opening to the exterior terrace with a breathtaking view. The kitchen features Danish-designed Reform cabinetry, Bardiglio marble, and Fisher Paykel appliances. An office, a washroom, a dry bar, and a generously proportioned laundry room complete the main level. The central architectural piece of the home is the solid white oak staircase leading up to the second floor. The four bedrooms upstairs, though spacious, are much more private and intimate, each with large windows on two sides, communing with the serene and quiet landscape outside. The two sizable bathrooms have dedicated shower rooms and freestanding soaking tubs with panoramic views. The expansive landing of this level has a reading room at one end and a sitting area at the other. Distinguishing features of the Nine-Square House include high energy efficiency due to insulation exceeding all current standards, multi-zone central AC, radiant heated floors, solid 200 lb interior doors, satin nickel Kohler fixtures, cast iron sinks, and solid forged and machined brass and satin nickel door hardware. An expansive floor plan and extensive technical solutions are met with human-scale rooms, creating an abundantly peaceful and welcoming environment. The land around the house, perfect as it is, has been touched as little as possible. There are wooded and open areas, with meandering walking paths trailing through the property. The minimal clearing around the house has been planted with native plants, allowing ferns and forest growth to come back up to the building over time. The Nine-Square House is just 20 minutes from Hudson, Great Barrington, and Millerton and two hours from New York City.