Shingle Cottage Home Renovation | Watermill House | New York | Desai Chia Architecture

The living area, dining area and kitchen were moved from the old cottage into the new addition to establish clear connections to the garden and pool. The addition creates a new main entrance to the house, drawing guests directly into the most socially vibrant part of the home.

The first floor of the cottage was renovated and converted into a family room, home office and guest bedroom suite. The upper floor was renovated to provide larger bedrooms, a shared bathroom, and a sitting area that overlooks the neighboring farm......more

Modern Wood Cladding House | Michigan Lake House | Leelanau County | Michigan | Desai Chia Architecture

Perched on a woodland bluff overlooking Lake Michigan, this home, designed in collaboration with Environment Architects (AOR) of Traverse City, MI, is an assemblage of three offset structures that play off each other— the ‘gathering’ structure contains the living room, kitchen and a covered 'vista' seating terrace; the two 'sleeping' structures house the master bedroom suite and three children's bedrooms. A dining area breezeway connects all three structures.....more

Transparent House | LM Guest House | Dutchess County | New York | Desai Chia Architecture

Designed as a contemplative retreat for weekend visitors, this guest house is situated on a rock outcropping that overlooks a trout pond and open farmland with vast unobstructed views to the landscape. The house integrates a number of sustainable design strategies, including geothermal heating and cooling, radiant floors, natural ventilation, motorized solar shades, photovoltaic panels, and rainwater harvesting for irrigation, in addition to an elegant structural design.

Open views to nature create a stunning backdrop for the main living and sleeping areas. A main bedroom and two ‘couchette’ nooks with built-in bunk beds provide accommodations for six overnight guests......more