‘Inhabit the site,’ ‘Creating rooms inside and out,’ ‘Capturing light,’ ‘Sheltering roof.’ These were the concepts that our client valued and used as the backbone for their Vermont home. All are concepts originally from Christopher Alexander’s, ‘A Pattern Language’, more recently adapted by Sarah Susanka with her ‘Not So Big’ concept.

Our client wasn’t looking for a ‘Not So Big House’; they were looking for a  place that could  change with the seasons, that was natural in its roots, that embraced its inhabitants and was in harmony with the site. The site, although relatively straight forward, encourages many different types of experiences. The building wanted to occupy the site in such a manner as to emphasize and engage the uniqueness the site had to offer.

Each wing wanted to feel like a different place: a sleeping porch in the woods, a stair tower in the sun, a loft bedroom occupying the timber frame, a living room with views to the Worcester Range, a screened porch nestled into the hillside and a master bathroom overlooking a small mossy clearing in the forest.

The clients have placed themselves inside every square inch of their home at one time or another to understand what the spaces will feel like, to truly experience them.  Extensive time was spent on the site with the clients staking the building prior to excavation in order for the site to influence the building according to how each wing felt it should be placed on the site.

Phase 1 (due to be completed in August 2007) will be the heart of the project with two additional phases over the next two years, including the master bedroom and bath, screened porch and garage with a third bedroom and a sleeping porch.