Lift House
Credit -- S3 Architecture
Project Completion ~ November 2024
Lift House is a direct response to the natural crescendo of its landscape. The journey begins on a long, narrow site in Rhinebeck, tracing a path along a moss-covered cliffside that slowly climbs to a prominent rock knoll. The home itself is conceived as an extension of this ascent, a built form that captures the feeling of being gracefully lifted by the land.
Inspired by the gentle arc of a falling leaf, the approach invites a moment of pause before you turn to enter, beginning a meditative transition from exterior to interior. You cross the threshold into a quiet Genkan, a space for shedding the outside world before beginning the climb. The interior unfolds in a series of stepped levels, drawing you ever upward toward the light. This sense of elevation is echoed in the material palette, which transitions from heavy, earthen materials at the base to progressively lighter elements above. From the sloping roof to the rhythm of the stepping windows, every detail reinforces this upward movement.
The journey culminates at the home's apex: a dramatic cantilevered deck that extends out from the cliff’s edge. Here, you are suspended among the treetops, with an uninterrupted view over the pond and surrounding nature—the final note in a long, patient crescendo.
Inspired by the gentle arc of a falling leaf, the approach invites a moment of pause before you turn to enter, beginning a meditative transition from exterior to interior. You cross the threshold into a quiet Genkan, a space for shedding the outside world before beginning the climb. The interior unfolds in a series of stepped levels, drawing you ever upward toward the light. This sense of elevation is echoed in the material palette, which transitions from heavy, earthen materials at the base to progressively lighter elements above. From the sloping roof to the rhythm of the stepping windows, every detail reinforces this upward movement.
The journey culminates at the home's apex: a dramatic cantilevered deck that extends out from the cliff’s edge. Here, you are suspended among the treetops, with an uninterrupted view over the pond and surrounding nature—the final note in a long, patient crescendo.
Project Completion ~ November 2024