Daylight played a major role in the home's design as part of the process to integrate the interior world with the exterior.

For years, Tom Armstrong had been developing and growing his garden into a masterpiece, and luckily when his 1926 Georgian Revival home burnt to the ground, the garden remained. When Armstrong and his wife decided to rebuild, they wanted a weekend retreat that would celebrate the garden, so they asked Phifer to design them a steel and glass pavilion where they could be immersed in the surrounding landscape. Like the natural work of beauty in the garden, the home was also designed to house a sizable collection of modernist art.

The long, low building matches the height of the surrounding pruned apple trees as a way to blend into the landscape rather than stand out. Standing on one side, you can see right through, past the art to the other side and all the way out to the Sound. One bedroom and bath sits at one side of the pavilion, while the living, dining and kitchen sit on the opposite side. An atrium acting as a Japanese moss garden divides the public living areas and pulls even more light into the space. A long reflecting pool waits at the home’s entrance visually connecting the viewer’s eye to the water beyond.

Daylight played a major role in the home’s design as part of the process to integrate the interior world with the exterior. Surrounding the home’s perimeter is an 11-ft wide canopy of thin steel tubes that extend out over a black granite walkway. This overhang protects the interior and the valuable works of art from glare, overheating and direct sunlight.

+ Thomas Phifer and Partners

Via Co.Design