prAna: Sustainable Clothing

Why move or demolish the boulder when you can incorporate it into your living room?

“Since he was a boy, John Carson, a New York City builder and real estate developer, dreamed of building a house around a giant stone. He and his wife, Sharon Slowik, estimate that they looked at 75 properties before finding this one in Margaretville, N.Y. At left, the boulder in its pre-construction surroundings. The 250-ton bluestone boulder, measuring 8 feet high, 15 feet wide, 22 feet deep, dominates the living space in the two-level glass-and-copper house that the couple built around it. When searching for the right boulder, Mr. Carson, at left, said that he told a broker: “I want something massive — I want something the size of a train car. I want something bigger than would ever be appropriate.” A rock ledge stood 20 feet to the side of the boulder, which meant the house would have to be built on two levels. So Mr. Carson designed a home that was essentially two interconnected boxes on two separate foundations. Mr. Carson and Ms. Slowik wanted a home that was not only airy and open, but also was, as Ms. Slowik puts it, a collaboration with nature. They created a glass-walled “light well” — essentially a three-foot-square courtyard open to the sky — between the master bath and a hallway, from which they can watch the snow and rain. New York City subway grating is used as a bridge from the second-level dining room to the living room and an outdoor deck. “There’s just something inviting about being able to rub against nature in your living room,” said Mr. Carson.

Cross Posted from NYT