B A R C O E R E S I D E N C E
Built in 1815, based on the faded date found on the header above the original back door, the stately stone colonial residence in Dobbs Ferry, NY, was altered and expanded to meet goals for creating informal and inviting family living space while achieving a high standard of energy efficiency. According to the owner, who has a construction company in New York City, “Energy conservation is beaten into you in Ireland,” which is why following the principles of the rigorous Passive House standard and designing for longevity were primary goals. Both architect and owners shared a common belief that good design and high energy performance is not mutually exclusive, and set out to achieve an inspiring yet harmonious design befitting this historic home.
Renovation and expansion of the house presented several challenges. The distinctive features of the original house, such as the 18” thick stone walls with slate sills, and a living room that has beamed ceiling and a fireplace surround with delft tile, would be preserved. The basement level, despite the low 7’-2” ceilings and dark claustrophobic space, would be reconfigured and expanded, since at this level, the family could have access to a terrace and views of the surrounding hillside. The basement slabs were removed and lowered to increase the ceiling height, the stone walls underpinned, and two one-story additions were built to provide a new kitchen, dining room, family room, bath, and mud room.
The 643 sf extensions were given a playful, modern farmhouse aesthetic, with large expanses of glass with oversized panes at windows and doors to capture natural light and views. Low-sloped standing seam copper roofs were utilized to clear and preserve the first-floor windows. For exterior materials, stained tongue-and-groove cedar siding and clad windows were chosen in shades of grey to harmonize with the colors of the original stone, since matching the old stone would be difficult if not impossible. Additionally, the introduction of different exterior materials lends itself to the farmhouse style, which is often characterized by contrasting outbuilding extensions over time as an original building grows. The clean lines of the extensions give the home a contemporary simplicity that balances with the mosaic of rugged stone cut with smaller window openings at the existing building.
On the interior, expressions of the old stone walls appear inside the dining room and basement bath. Natural textures and materials are used throughout the new living space - such as wide-plank reclaimed wood flooring and stained wood accents at the kitchen cabinetry – to add a rustic warmth to the newly open bright interior. The old 150 sf kitchen was replaced with a spacious 374 sf space for cooking and entertaining, with a large island that is now used for cooking demonstrations for twelve guests at a time. A new spacious family room, with a high efficiency net-zero carbon emission wood-burning fireplace, provides the central gathering space for the home.
Collaboration between team members, which included the owner/contractor, architect, structural engineer, mechanical engineer, framer, and the supplier of the Passive House materials, was essential to explore methods for following Passive House principles. Energy modeling using the Passive House Planning Package (PHPP) by the mechanical engineer, a Passive House instructor, determined requirements for air tight membranes and continuous insulation. Steel beams support the large openings into the thick stone walls, with hung joists to allow the insulation to wrap along the new roof and up along the inside of the old stone wall free of thermal bridges. Overhangs were sized based on solar shading analysis, and are supported by brackets with the same shape and profile of the old wood brackets running along the eaves of the old house. This detail strengthens the connection between the old with the new, as a 19th-century home is brought into the 21st century.
Renovation and expansion of the house presented several challenges. The distinctive features of the original house, such as the 18” thick stone walls with slate sills, and a living room that has beamed ceiling and a fireplace surround with delft tile, would be preserved. The basement level, despite the low 7’-2” ceilings and dark claustrophobic space, would be reconfigured and expanded, since at this level, the family could have access to a terrace and views of the surrounding hillside. The basement slabs were removed and lowered to increase the ceiling height, the stone walls underpinned, and two one-story additions were built to provide a new kitchen, dining room, family room, bath, and mud room.
The 643 sf extensions were given a playful, modern farmhouse aesthetic, with large expanses of glass with oversized panes at windows and doors to capture natural light and views. Low-sloped standing seam copper roofs were utilized to clear and preserve the first-floor windows. For exterior materials, stained tongue-and-groove cedar siding and clad windows were chosen in shades of grey to harmonize with the colors of the original stone, since matching the old stone would be difficult if not impossible. Additionally, the introduction of different exterior materials lends itself to the farmhouse style, which is often characterized by contrasting outbuilding extensions over time as an original building grows. The clean lines of the extensions give the home a contemporary simplicity that balances with the mosaic of rugged stone cut with smaller window openings at the existing building.
On the interior, expressions of the old stone walls appear inside the dining room and basement bath. Natural textures and materials are used throughout the new living space - such as wide-plank reclaimed wood flooring and stained wood accents at the kitchen cabinetry – to add a rustic warmth to the newly open bright interior. The old 150 sf kitchen was replaced with a spacious 374 sf space for cooking and entertaining, with a large island that is now used for cooking demonstrations for twelve guests at a time. A new spacious family room, with a high efficiency net-zero carbon emission wood-burning fireplace, provides the central gathering space for the home.
Collaboration between team members, which included the owner/contractor, architect, structural engineer, mechanical engineer, framer, and the supplier of the Passive House materials, was essential to explore methods for following Passive House principles. Energy modeling using the Passive House Planning Package (PHPP) by the mechanical engineer, a Passive House instructor, determined requirements for air tight membranes and continuous insulation. Steel beams support the large openings into the thick stone walls, with hung joists to allow the insulation to wrap along the new roof and up along the inside of the old stone wall free of thermal bridges. Overhangs were sized based on solar shading analysis, and are supported by brackets with the same shape and profile of the old wood brackets running along the eaves of the old house. This detail strengthens the connection between the old with the new, as a 19th-century home is brought into the 21st century.