Marcus Gleysteen — Architect
“I believe that every spacedeserves beauty and purpose.For more than twenty years,our practice has soughtto enrich the evolvingconditions of daily life throughmeaningful design.”
Gleysteen said that when working with clients, he seeshimself as more of a guide than a leader. “Our primaryresponsibility is to help our clients articulate what theywant so that we can give it to them. We also endeavorto introduce them to concepts we know they are goingto like that might initially be out of their comfort zone.”
In the case of the Lake Point House, the clients sought apermanent residence for their large family — a stunningand dynamic home that could accommodate day-to-dayliving as well as big parties and social events.
The Lake Point House is situated along the shore of the4,136-acre Lake Sunapee in western New Hampshire.“The site was so beautiful that the architecture had to getout of the way,” Gleysteen said. “The main approach wasto make sure the house provided all its necessary functionswhile celebrating the site.”
Gleysteen said one design choice that helped organize themass of the project was separating two-bedroom wingsby a single-story volume flanked by double chimneys.This enabled the house to sit gracefully as part of thelandscape without dominating it. Additionally, the homewas designed with a tripartite plan that demarcates threeseparate zones, making the structure equally comfortableand appealing whether it’s used by two people or 20. Theprimary zone includes the kitchen, informal dining area,and master suite. The second is a private guest wing, whilethe third zone is a formal dining room and a great roomfor gathering and entertaining.
The expansive home employs a tectonic play of wood,stone, and steel, an homage to the rugged magnificenceof New Hampshire. Unique interior touches include amassive fireplace in the great room which is composed ofhand-chiseled granite and boasts custom doors that rollout from pockets set within the stone.
Offering spectacular lake views, the home’s deepoverhangs soar toward the sky while giving protectionfrom the elements. Expanses of Vermont-quarried graniteand layered columns establish an organic rhythm andground the home in its woodland surroundings.
“For our firm, the beginning of the process is about reallylistening to our clients,” Gleysteen said. “It’s only afterlistening that we can apply our experience and skills,resulting in a project that exceeds their needs and desires.”
— Excerpt from New View: A Curated Visual Gallery: Twenty Magnificent Homes by Northeast Architects
Photography by Joshua McHugh
Photography by Joshua McHugh
Photography by Joshua McHugh