The 2016 CTC&G IDA Winners: Builder Recognition

Like a display in a boutique, this 19th-century New England farmhouse sits perched atop a hill. Once a 1940s cape, the now renovated home became the framework for an ambitious newlywed couple’s dream home on a stunning Fairfield County property.

“Every time I drive by, I fall in love with it again,” notes Jack Shostak, owner of Shostak Construction. “It’s not incredibly massive, and yet it captures your eye.” A large part of this effect, says Shostak, is the result of incorporating a front porch built in locally sourced wood, as it would have been nearly 200 years ago. Fir flooring on the porch, custom mahogany fasciae and clapboard siding supplement the second-floor addition to define a clear entrance point. Although the design schema of Browning Residential Design aligned with traditional farmhouse structures, according to Shostak, it was the attention to detail that made the straightforward structure so engaging. “It’s just simple lines, not incredible amounts of detail,” says Shostak. “But the detail put into it was done with a purpose. The molding, the window casings, it’s all very substantial.”

Additional Resources:
Architecture, Browning Residential Design. Landscape design, Oliver Nurseries and Design Associates. Structural engineer, David Kufferman, PE Structural Engineers. Cabinetry (throughout), Wallace Company Woodworking, LLC.

A modern sculpture from the front and minimalist glass house from the back, this Long Island Sound home’s eye-catching design is fit to rival the surrounding cove’s organic beauty. Prutting & Company combined energy efficient triple-glazed windows, geothermal technology, acrylic stucco and recycled wood-chip lumber (among other technologies) to bring Sellars Lathrop Architects’ utilitarian design to life. “Using today’s technology is to me the definition of a modern house,” notes company owner David Prutting. “We’re big advocates for unique architecture, and we believe good design like this will hold its value for a long time.”

Outside the entrance, a protruding wall clad in limestone blocks extends a connecting interior wall, drawing the eye to the entryway while screening what’s behind. It’s this balance between privacy and openness that Prutting considers to be the home’s most impressive feature. “The views are stunning; it’s a beautiful setting and they literally jut out onto the water,” says Prutting. “It’s extremely well sited on the lot. It’s large without being dominating: it’s not overwhelming.”

Additional Resources:
Architecture, Sellars Lathrop Architects, LLC. Interior design, Jennifer Gresinger.

Turn into the oil and stone driveway, and an unassuming cape home melds with its neighborhood like a seamless addition to a veteran house. But drive along further, and a quaint cedar shingled roof and tea green shutters dissolve into a linearly expansive colonial porch. Shortly after starting his own construction company, East Coast Structures, John Sullivan was brought in by the homeowners to build a space that adhered to the neighborhood’s scale without cutting down on the client’s wish list.

Fieldstone chimneys on the side and back of the home, and white cedar siding work statement features into a cozy environment. “Everyone seems to have this transitional contemporary feel to their homes,” says Sullivan. “This has it in the inside and outside a little bit, but it’s not overwhelming.” Working with PH Architects and a Realtor homeowner made for a rewarding first project. “It was a kick-start for me, getting off the ground on my own,” notes Sullivan. “I appreciated the homeowner having faith in me, putting their largest investment in my hands.”

Additional Resources:
Architecture, PH Architects, LLC.