Sheffield Residence by Vincent Appel / Of Possible

Gyrofocus by Focus Fireplaces designed by Dominique Imbert, 1968. Suar Table from Restoration Hardware. Stargazer chairs from Nigeria, circa 1890 – 1900s.

Located in Massachusetts among active farmland and the rolling forested hills of the Berkshires, this 334-square-metre, one-level American home designed for a couple who love to cook and entertain combines sustainable techniques, spatial poetry and memories of the site.

“The client had grown up on the property in an old colonial home rebuilt several times over the years by their parents”, says architect Vincent Appel from Of Possible. “The original two-storey home no longer suited their desire to live actively in their retirement so it was saved and relocated for their younger sister on a nearby hill.”

Engaging the memories of the site and the previous building was at the heart of the project, while the architect created a new design that referenced local vernacular architecture. Floating 43 centimetres off the ground, “the home appears to rest gently on the site and the uninterrupted horizontal lines at the bottom of the house connect it to the landscape”, Appel says. “This height was chosen so the edges of every terrace could be used as seating out onto their adjacent courtyards. The entire home becomes as intimate in scale as a chair.”

Cognac leather custom sofas by Vincent Cafiero, 1968. Flatweave Kiasar Rug by Warp & Weft. Mid-century Harvey Probber Pyramid Occasional Side Table from George Champion Modern Shop. Bong Side Table designed by Giulio Cappellini, 2004 from Cappellini. Reclaimed oak coffee table by Restoration Hardware. Italian Sculptural Carrara Marble Dish on the coffee table by Sergio Asti from George Champion Modern Shop.

The owners love enjoying the open panorama through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the great room, their favourite area in the home. Extremely elegant and almost minimalist, the house is surrounded by terraces on three sides, all creating alfresco spaces. “The proportions of the east terrace are perfect”, Appel says. “You feel cosy and partially enclosed while cinematic views are framed out to the landscape.”

For the husband and wife who have both spent a lifetime in the food and beverage industry, the kitchen also had to meet high expectations. With its professional-grade passive, ground cooled root and wine cellar, it clearly does.

Original teak PP501 chairs designed by Hans Wegner in in 1950s from PP Mobler. Split Bamboo dining table designed by John Birch of Wyeth for Restoration Hardware.

“Sophisticated Primitive” Chair by Vincent Cafiero, 1968.

Early 19th C Decoy birds, Mounted on oak bases from the Splendid Peasant’s folk art collection.

The interiors were carefully curated to create the perfect balance and furnished with folk art, and mid-century and contemporary pieces including the suspended GyroFocus fireplace by Dominique Imbert; custom cognac leather sofas designed by Vincent Cafiero; a large flat weave rug by Warp & Weft that anchors the living room; two Harvey Probber side tables; large floor-standing decoy birds from the Splendid Peasant’s Folk Art collection; and 12 original 1950s-era teak PP501 chairs by Hans Wegner, unexpectedly surrounding the 2017 John Birch-designed split bamboo dining table. “The spaces can be incredibly tranquil and calm for just one or two people, or they can be the stage for great large parties”, Appel notes.

CH25 Lounge Chair by Hans Wegner in 1949 for Carl Hansen & Son.

Along with the refined aesthetic, sustainability was also key. With the help of Kent Hicks Construction, “the home was designed and built to Passive House level standards for energy consumption”, Appel says. The home utilizes passive heating and cooling strategies, such as the concrete floor on the entire south side of the structure, which acts as a thermal mass, and the custom insulated window frames imported from Slovakia with custom glass from France (two of the few building components that weren’t sourced locally).

“We were careful to design the home so no trees would have to be disturbed on the site”, the architect adds. “It is rare to be able to do a project that is on the one hand so rooted in high performance sustainability and on the other hand so uncompromisingly about the poetry and performance of spaces.”