Located in Litchfield County, Hill House occupies a naturally terraced site, shielded from view from the country drive by a forest grove of specimen trees. The house itself nestled between a ledge outcropping, historic hickory grove and a long sloping meadow, which provides panoramic views from both woodland property and built structure.
Four gabled primitive building forms are nestled into the rock outcrop between the upper wooded entry drive and the rolling meadow below.
The buildings are situated within the existing landscape to create indoor and outdoor rooms that respond to site and program conditions within and beyond. The central gallery or “break” between the active and passive spaces serves as a meditative room and gallery for the owner’s collection of art. Focused views are directed to both the meadow and the exposed rock ledge at the entry, where the groundscape has been displaced to the green roofscape of the building.
Each of the four building forms engages with the central gallery, but is also positioned to draw on the natural ecologies beyond the respective building envelope. The fifth building, housing the garage and studio, is projected towards the eastern property edge and brackets an intimate entry court.
The Architecture’s geometry originates from the site’s farm-land history. The familiar forms are entirely clad in wood, which is ventilated and has been treated to weather naturally over time and recede into the landscape.
Landscape: Reed Hilderbrand Landscape Architecture
Photography by © David Sundberg / Esto