4.2.2021 | DIGS.NET 53
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dyllic and peaceful, the natural landscape on
which this 3,600-square-foot contemporary
home sits is one of the elements that makes the
project unique. Built by Kent Hicks Construction
and designed by Of Possible / Vincent Appel among
active farmland and the rolling forested hills of the
Berkshires in Massachusetts, the property is owned
by a couple who have spent a lifetime in the food
and beverage industries. Both love to cook and
entertain—a passion that naturally led to the design
of a professional-level kitchen and a passive, ground
coupled root and wine cellar. "The clients had grown
up on the property in an old colonial home rebuilt
several times over the years by their parents," says
architect Appel. "The original two-story home no
longer suited their desire to live actively in their
retirement, [so it] was saved and relocated for their
younger sister on a nearby hill. The owners were
looking for a new architecture that engaged the
memories of the original home on the site from their
youth, and that would be suitable for late living life."
To that end, he adds, "It needed to be primarily one
floor . . . and not draw attention."
Honoring this brief, Appel created a contemporary
house with a nod to the local architectural
vernacular. With floor-to-ceiling glass windows, it is
surrounded by terraces on three sides that all create
outdoor spaces, including the cozy east terrace that
has a suspended Gyrofocus fireplace by Dominique
Imbert and feels partially enclosed while providing
cinematic views. The panorama is what truly
inspired and nurtured the project, with an apple
orchard, barn and horse corral to the east; a long yard
and gardens to the south; an evergreen and wetland
ravine to the north; and a grand maple tree with a
70-foot canopy to the west. "The home is designed to
frame the spaces of memory in the landscape around
it," the architect confesses.
Preserving the beauty of the site and paying tribute
to it was at the heart of every decision. "We were
careful to design the home so no tree would have to
be disturbed," Appel says. "This meant we had to
fine tune the solar exposure of all the windows and
overhangs to work with the large nearby tree canopies
during different seasons." The deep understanding
of the local environment, material selection and
the architecture's connection to the site allowed the
project to meet Passive House-level standards for
energy consumption. "For example, the entire south
side of the home (with roof overhangs) has a polished
concrete floor on an insulated raft foundation that
acts as a thermal mass, keeping the interiors warm
in the cold winter nights as it dissipates heat it
absorbed during the days," Appel describes. "In the
