Hillside House on a Pond

A historically appropriate and environmentally sensitive design for a steeply sloped site with a pond.

Stone steps flow downhill from the street level through terraced beds to the kitchen level. The subtle curve of the steps evokes the organic forms of the pond below the terraces.

A curved fieldstone wall and lushly planted beds define the main terrace. A set of rough-hewn granite steps leads to the studio/barn and vegetable garden. Shrub borders planted with native understory trees, woodland and wetland shrubs, ferns and wildflowers frame the lower lawn and the pond beyond.

Architect: George Penniman Architects.