Bridgehampton-based design studio Stelle Architects has designed the House by the Pond project.  The luxury two-storey property can be found in Water Mill, New York, USA.

According to the architects: “The overall design of the contemporary New York house was a direct response to an array of environmental regulations, site constraints, solar orientation and specific programmatic requirements.

“The strategy was to locate a two-storey volume that contained all of the bedrooms and baths, running north/south, along the western side of the site. An open, lofty, single storey pavilion, separated by an interstitial space comprised of two large glass pivot doors, was located parallel to the street. This lower scale street front pavilion was conceived as a breezeway. It connects the light and activity of the yard and pool area to the south with the view and wildlife of the pond to the north.

“The exterior materials used in the contemporary New York property consist of anodized aluminum doors, windows and trim, cedar and cement board siding. They were selected for their low maintenance, modest cost, long-term durability, and sustainable nature. Overhangs and sunshades limit the need for summer air conditioning while allowing solar heat gain in the winter.

“Specific zoning, an efficient geothermal heating and cooling system, highly energy efficient glazing and an advanced building insulation system resulted in a structure that exceeded the requirements of the energy star rating system.”