Balancing Rock
Perched lightly above a steep, wooded hillside on the border of New York and Connecticut, Balancing Rock feels both secluded and expansive. The home’s single floating slab bends gently with the contours of the site, offering uninterrupted views of the forest canopy and distant landscape. Designed for the visionary team at Carbon Custom Builders, the project pairs their bold structural ingenuity with atmosphere design and quiet luxury.
The main living level of the home sits on a sweeping concrete slab that is lifted above the slope, following the natural topography in a curving, snake-like gesture. This form creates a continuous, flowing interior experience while giving the impression that the home is hovering lightly above the land. The interior curve becomes a solid screen wall, allowing the opposite facade to open entirely to glass and light and fill the home with lush mountain views.
Six sculptural columns are the only points of contact with the ground. More than structure, they also house the plumbing, electrical, and mechanical systems, which leaves the ceiling and floor plates clear of interruption. This design gesture keeps the architecture and interior visually uncluttered.
Floor-to-ceiling glass stretches across the main volume, carefully modulated in rhythm to frame long woodland views while maintaining privacy and intimacy. Above, planted green roof areas knit the building back into its hillside, reinforcing the sense that the home belongs as much to the forest as to its inhabitants.
The gathering space at the heart of the home is designed to flex between quiet retreat and lively entertaining. Our furniture selections and layouts orient toward the view while still creating moments for intimate conversations.
The color and material palette draws directly from the site using earth tones, dark woods, and stone-like surfaces while custom curved millwork lines the architectural forms. Together, these elements create a living room that feels grounded in the forest yet refined in its detailing.
Tucked below the main slab, the pool terrace both sits atop the hillside and sheltered by the volume above, extending the architectural language of the house while offering a durable surface for outdoor living. From the water, one looks back to see the underside of the home and its columns rising out of natural boulders, creating a striking juxtaposition of raw geology and refined form.
The design balances sweeping curves with crisp angular gestures. This purposeful interplay mimics the terrain and gives the architecture a compositional clarity. The geometry also helps emphasize the communal spaces by containing them within a well-blanced singular curved form.
The the fireplace and kitchen flank either sides of the main gathering space. The custom kitchen is defined by dark wood cabinetry and a bold triangular island surfaced in natural dark metal, a material also used as the backsplash. The cabinetry design and materials visually connect with the curved interior wall’s millwork and custom shelving to create continuity.
As the temperature drops, the structure becomes a study in contrast: the heavy, monolithic exterior floats just above the winter woodland. By pairing exterior concrete and glass with warm woods and soft furnishings inside, the home transforms into a lantern in the winter months. The "cool" concrete horizontal planes allow the architecture to appear as if it is levitating just above the snow drifts.
Located at the far end of the home for privacy, the primary suite embodies the retreat-like character of the home. A custom floating millwork piece divides the room, serving as a headboard for the sleeping area and cabinetry for a small private lounge and seating area.
The bathroom continues the theme of elevated seclusion: a floating tub oriented toward the forest allows for moments of stillness. A spa-like private retreat for soaking during a snowfall or watching autumn leaves fall.
Arrival is staged across a slender bridge spanning the slope. As you cross, you approach a solid ivy-clad wall that creates a sense of enclosure, this tension is relieved the moment you enter into the home’s interior which immediately opens to sweeping views revealing the forest drop below.
Every detail of the home is made possible through collaboration with Carbon Custom Builders. Their precision in execution and willingness to embrace new ideas allowed the design team to push forward innovative solutions (from utility-carrying columns to custom curving millwork.) The result is a house that is both technically advanced and deeply connected to its site.
