We were looking for a firm that was a good "listener", and one that would be able to interpret our desires to produce the home of our dreams.  Russ Campaign and his team did just that...we could not be more pleased with the results.  We found the firm to be easy to work with, responsive, and ever concerned for the quality of the final product."  Owner of Greenwood Residence

PROJECT NAME:  Greenwood Residence

PROJECT TYPE:  New Single Family Residence

PROJECT CONTEXT:  The site for the home is a two acre parcel in a subdivision bordering a large preserve.  The site is wooded with mature trees and has low bands of mountain laurel.

PROJECT LOCATION:  Guilford, CT

PROJECT COMPLETION:  Summer 2007

PROJECT PROGRAM:  To create a comfortable home in which to retire and encourage artistic pursuits in stone sculpting and woodworking.  The home was to have clean contemporary lines, with a warm natural feel.

DESIGN SOLUTION:  The beauty of the surrounding forested area required careful clearing to position the home.  The driveway rises up to a level area of the site, passing between two large glacial erratics.  This affords screened views of the home from the street, creating a private forest setting for the house and yards.  We designed a series of primarily single story volumes with deep hipped roofs hugging the land.  We arranged them to form an entry court and several outdoor rooms which extend the interior spaces.  The main living spaces are open to each other, separated by columns and a large central stone fireplace. The living room has a thickened display wall with recesses sized to accommodate sculptures created by the owner.  This area has 10-’6” ceilings with high transom windows, which add drama to the space. The first floor master suite affords convenience and privacy.  A stone studio is located with an office loft off of the mudroom.  A bank of skylights and french doors in the studio open to the north light and a private outdoor work terrace.  We created a sunroom off of the kitchen with high windows which give the feel of being in the forest.  Windows were strategically placed throughout the house to conceal views to neighboring houses and open to the forested land, giving the house a serenity seldom realized in a neighborhood setting.

MATERIALS:  We turned to natural wood products and stone for the skin of the building.  The vertical and horizontal siding is mostly red cedar with a clear preservative finish, although a few areas are painted to provide contrast.  The front entry is timber framed with over scaled douglas fir timbers with matching fir ceiling and soffits.  The windows are aluminum clad wood with douglas fir interiors.  To emphasize the home’s connection to the site, we carried much of the exterior material pallet to the interior.  We used douglas fir for the ceilings, windows and doors and the same stone for the fireplace mass.  The cabinetry and trim is red birch with a clear finish, set on caramelized bamboo floors.  The color pallet took on rich natural hues giving the home a warm comfortable feel.