Saranac Lake, NYS

This residence located on the shores of Lake Saranac in NY, serves as a year round retreat. The historic Green Bay Camp, in the Adirondacks was expanded to serve this new use. The main house was expanded and renovated, and a poolhouse added. The gambrel form of the addition echoed the numerous barns found in the area. The shape also has the maximum volume to surface area ratio, thus reducing the heat loss. This building is very energy efficient. It is sited with its long facade facing south to capture as much daylight as possible.

The linear shape of the shed lent itself for the insertion of a 75 foot pool. The barn like shed roof was raised in the central area to create a clerestory, and add a visual break to the linearity of the space. A few dormer type windows were added. The wall at the end facing the lake was removed to add a bay window with a hot tub. The central section of the long walls was removed to create access points to the open spaces. The slab on grade in the interior of the structure was removed, a pool inserted. The plenum space below the deck area adjoining the pool was utilized as space to run the HVAC ducts and other utilities.

As the attached photographs show, the idyllic nature of the setting was undisturbed by the new interventions. In fact, the structure was visually enhanced, and a new use gave a new life to the storage sheds, which were no longer required for the use that they were originally built.

Since the construction period is severely limited, due to the long winters in this area, multiple bid packages were prepared to complete the project on an expedited basis.
 

Completion: December 2005
Project Cost: withheld upon request
Role of Firm: Prime Consultants