The 2017 CTC&G IDA Winners: Architecture

The site for this pool house, a prominent rise overlooking the Connecticut River near Lyme, is dramatic in its own right, but Nautilus Architects wanted to create a structure that would further define its setting.

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General contractor, Tier 1, Peter Giordano. Carpenter, Lankerd Carpentry Custom Builders. Structural engineer, Jacobson Structures, Justin Jacobson. Civil engineer, McDonald/Sharpe & Associates. Lighting consultant, Conceptual Lighting. Architectural concrete, Surface Elements. Plumbing fixtures, Grohe. Kitchen sink, Elkay. Kitchen cabinets, CustomCut Interiors. Stainless steel upper cabinets, Laserton Direct, LLC. Steel bar counter, 21 Bridge Design. Doors and windows, Arcadia. Grill, Viking. Floor tile, Italian Tile Imports. Ipe roof elements, General Woodcraft Inc.. Linear pendant fixture, Edge Lighting. Exterior wall washers, Lumenpulse. Linear fire pit, Spark Modern Fires. Undercounter refrigerator, Marvel.

The team of designers restricted the structure’s color palette to gray, silver and black as a way to offset every architectural element and material. Concrete, steel, glass and stone respond to the natural setting and work to foster both solidity and a sense of transparency.

Notable details include a black, steel-framed clerestory, a vigorously articulated cantilevering I-beam, and sliding pocket doors that open the building directly to the pool, transforming it into a pavilion.

Neil Hauck Architects LLC managed to incorporate three distinct design themes within a spacious New Canaan residence and pool house. Both the main house and diminutive pool house innovatively reference the quintessential New England farmhouse that is typical of the region; the spaces within an attached garage and game room evoke a kind of modern-day barn, complete with post-and-beam framing; and the element linking the two structures is a glass-enclosed stairwell, seemingly free-floating, and made of solid American black walnut.

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Landscape, Keith E. Simpson Associates, Inc. Interior design, Ainsley Design, Ainsley Rose Hayes. Kitchen design, Deane, Inc. Contractor, Hobbs, Inc.

The modestly scaled pool house echoes the detailing of the main dwelling, particularly in its clapboard siding and restrained color palette.

This century-old home on Darien’s waterfront had been remodeled so haphazardly over the years that the interior and exterior had become disjointed, even dysfunctional. Amanda Martocchio Architecture + Design was enlisted to rediscover the inherent virtues of the residence while bringing it up to date for a modern-day family.

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Interior design, Gary Cruz Studio, Gary Cruz. Structural engineer, Edward Stanley Engineer, LLC. Landscape design, Middeleer Land Design, LLC. Builder, Genovesi & Sons, Inc. Energy consultant, Zero Energy Design. Audio video consultant, Realm. Windows, Loewen Windows and Doors. Retractable screens, Phantom Screens. Appliances, Aitoro. Plumbing fixtures, Klaffs. Custom cabinetry, J.G. Ferro + Co. Wood floors, Westwood Flooring. Countertops and tile, Porcelanosa. Motorized window shades, Lutron. Custom rugs, Gary Cruz Studio, Gary Cruz. Sofa, swivel chair, dining room chairs, dining room fixture and kitchen table, DDC/Minotti. Bamboo coffee table, Room. Dining room credenza, Wüd Furniture Design. Dining table, Skram Furniture Co. Kitchen chairs and stools, Design Within Reach. Stairway light fixture, Suite NY.

New windows were installed, a warm-gray stain was applied to cedar shingles, vertical siding was added between windows, and a zinc roof imbued the exterior with texture and form.

Inside, a reconfigured layout involved moving the well-used kitchen to the very heart of the home, while a new family room features a wall of French doors leading to a patio.

Before its renovation, this grand, circa-1930s Colonial had fallen on hard times. But the new owners and design team saw its promise and rescued the home, updating and enhancing it throughout.

One knockout feature is the elegant stone pool house with its arched and columned doorways, massive fireplace and inviting seating area.

A covered porch was also added to the main house, along with a new sunroom.

Here’s a classic-looking house with farmhouse styling that adheres to both smart and green building practices. It was designed with geo-thermal heating, low-VOC materials and lighting and irrigation that can be controlled via a smart phone.

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Hacker Greenwich.

Called the Greenwich House, it offers fun features as well, including a covered porch with an outdoor entertainment center.