FRENCH MANOR HOUSE ADDITION, Westchester County, NY

The current owners wished to retain the character of the original 1936 French Manor house style house while adding a new garage and bedroom wing for their growing family. The new wing has been carefully proportioned and the materials have been meticulously matched to create an extension that seems virtually seamless. Salvaged Ludowici clay tiles matching the originals were located in the midwest for use the new areas of roof.

A new exterior canopy and inlaid marble floor improve the original entry. The kitchen was dramatically enlarged and an adjacent family room added as part of the addition. A mud room, second staircase and three-car garage with three bedrooms above complete the expansion.

A new heavy-timber Guest House has been added in the Garden with an adjacent swimming pool, spa and tennis court. The structure's design evokes a grouping of French farm buildings with three wings set around a central courtyard. One wing houses a family room with an open heavy- timber truss ceiling.  The central wing includes an indoor basketball half-court with an exercise mezzanine.  The third wing houses large pool changing rooms with a guest suite above.

The heavy timber trusses in the Guest House support a SIP (Structural Insulated Panel) roof system made of thick foam insulation sandwiched between oriented strand board (OSB) roof sheathing and a pine plank ceiling finish. SIP panels are ideally paired with heavy timber trusses since they can span distance between the roof timbers. The walls of the structure are insulated with high-performance icynene, open-cell, spray-foam insulation creating a very tightly sealed Energy Star qualified building. Hydronic radiant tubing in the floors provide the heat in all areas except under the basketball court.

Photography by Gridley + Graves and Felhandler/Steeneken Architects

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