Ghent House | Thomas Phifer and Partners

The Ghent House was designed as a linear collection of structures, slightly askew from one another and partially embedded into a hillside. Each structure contains one room. Slightly raised interconnecting underground passages link the rooms spatially and conceptually. The building’s low profile minimizes its impact on the sprawling 78-acre site. A small, elevated entry building leads down and into the passage that connects the house’s four bedrooms, kitchen, living, and dining rooms. Each room is focused on a large, glazed opening that provides spectacular views of the Catskill Mountains and access to the exterior. The site design accommodates sculpture, sitting areas, a pool, walking paths, beehives, and provides ample grazing land for local cattle farmers.