Ledge House is a minimal residence located in Cornwall, Connecticut, designed by Desai Chai Architecture. The Ledge House clients asked the architects to design a new home that would resonate with the history of the Connecticut Valley, include a material palette that is environmentally friendly, and work with the challenging site on a large rock ledge.

The designers removed an existing cabin that had been expanded in unsuccessful ways over time by a previous owner; they were able to reuse the cabin’s foundation and add to it to simplify the footprint of the building while amplifying the program. The form of the house was inspired by indigenous barns of the area as well as the nearby, historic West Cornwall Covered Bridge.

The living room, dining room and kitchen form the nucleus of a large breezeway through the house; the breezeway was strategically positioned to take advantage of the views to the valley, the uphill cross-ventilating breezes, and an existing boulder that becomes a rugged companion to the house and the views of the landscape. The exterior of the house is clad in Shou Sugi Ban siding which offers a rot-resistant and bug-resistant finish that also articulates the iconic form of the building.

The interior finishes are light and airy. A master bedroom suite is located on one end of the house; two guest bedrooms are on the other end. The nucleus living area between them allows the owners and their guests to merge & socialize together in a lofted, open area that connects across the ledge to a forest terrace and a valley terrace: indoor and outdoor living flow seamlessly through.

Photography by Paul Warchol