This 110-acre parcel in Millerton, New York (Dutchess County), has as its central organizing element a “tapis vert” - an unbroken expanse of lawn, rectangular in shape. It’s what’s at either end of this expanse that Wagner Hodgson Landscape Architecture took on: a minimalist “barn” of Corten steel and glass at one and, and pools and terrace at the other. You can tell this is “farm country” with one glance around you from a seat on the terraces - rolling country stretches before you as far as the eye can see. Recalling the site’s origins and history, elements of “barn” architecture have also been employed in the landscape - a clever way to disguise a rather steep slope and provide visual interest as well.
See those steel rings around the birch trees? Yes, the ground drops off there, camouflaged by a rich carpet of ground cover. Up-lighting after dark seems to magically appear; it’s carefully concealed beneath the steel rims. Notice the exuberant wildflower meadow next to the tapis vert: as if a boundary on the lawn, this planting seems to say, “Natural blooms resume here.” But there are more instances of helping Nature along, too: next to the lawn on another side is an orchard and vegetable garden, with a custom steel fence and gate that blends in tone and style with the barn’s rustic detail and the steel tree surrounds. Inside, this “barn” is thoroughly modern: light, airy, and open, with panels of glass that bring the beautiful details of outdoors inside to enjoy anytime.
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| A Rustic Touch in New York Farm Country: Contemporary Barn by Wagner Hodgson |
