Description

The commission for a 12,000-square-foot home on five acres carried a seemingly contradictory program: create space for lavish entertaining yet ensure a sense of intimacy for the owners when they were home alone. Richard M. Cole & Associates' solution was a versatile first-floor plan that allows rooms to be closed off when not in use or opened to one another to create grand spaces for entertaining.

The owners also wanted an exterior finish that would be maintenance-free, unusual and visually striking. RMC&A settled on a pebble-dash stucco applied over concrete block bearing walls, a finish commonly used in Great Britain. To properly achieve the heavily textured finish, RMC&A located and supervised specially skilled plasterers from Ireland.

The extraordinary home also includes an indoor swimming pool, carefully designed by RMC&A to avoid the usual odor and moisture problems, a plant room equipped with motorized blinds activated by solar sensors and mechanical and electrical systems more often found in commercial buildings, including 12 air conditioning units, 14-zone heating and a passenger elevator.

Floor Plans