Cedar-Clad Cubic House on Angled Legs Elevated in Hudson Valley

This post examines a recently completed weekend house in Hillsdale, New York. The house was designed and built by US studio Forma for the principals’ own use.

The compact, cedar-clad cube sits on a gently sloping nine-acre site. It demonstrates a pragmatic, sculptural approach to low-impact design developed under pandemic-era constraints.

This article breaks down the architectural moves and material decisions. It also shares lessons for architects and engineers working with tight budgets, limited labor, and rising construction costs.

Project overview: a compact cedar-clad cube on a slope

The house is a 1,474‑foot‑square (137‑square‑metre) weekend residence. It is arranged on a tight 700‑square‑foot (65‑square‑metre) footprint.

Forma principals Miroslava Brooks and Daniel Markiewicz conceived the three‑bed, three‑bath building as a singular sculptural gesture. The house contrasts with the wooded landscape while keeping environmental impact to a minimum.

Sitting on a gently sloping hill within a nine‑acre property, the house is oriented to respond to sun, views, and site topography. The stacked square plan and split‑floor strategy reduce foundation work and construction costs.

How the form responds to site and budget

The massing reads like a cube lifted on angled legs. The west elevation is anchored to the ground with vertical cedar planks, while the east elevation uses diagonal boards to form a covered patio below.

Most of the cedar is blackened to create contrast against the woodland. The patio walls retain their natural warm hue to expose timber texture.

Materiality and facade strategy

Material choices do more than create a look; they communicate program and performance. By changing board orientation—vertical to ground the house and diagonal to suggest uplift—Forma gives each elevation a distinct identity with the same material palette.

The use of mostly blackened cedar provides visual contrast, reducing perceived scale and blending with shadows from the canopy. The untreated cedar at the patio celebrates warmth and a human-scale connection.

Practical advantages of the cedar strategy

The cedar cladding supports a compact build method that minimizes heavy foundations and site disturbance. The vertical stacking and split‑level layout compress program into a smaller footprint.

This approach helped manage construction costs and schedule risks during market volatility.

Interior planning, daylighting and details

Inside, the layout is organized across three split levels. Each half is divided between public and private uses.

The ground level contains a private suite and covered deck. The middle level includes a double‑height living room, kitchen, and a bedroom with ensuite.

The top level holds a third suite facing west. Daylighting and framed views are achieved through skylights and carefully placed windows.

Pentagon‑shaped openings to the east and tall vertical windows to the west provide changing light throughout the day. A contemporary fireplace embedded in the countertop millwork serves as a social anchor between living and dining spaces.

Design decisions shaped by pandemic realities

The project’s timeline stretched to nearly five years due to rising construction costs, labor shortages, and several redesigns. These constraints pushed the team toward a pragmatic, compact approach—prioritizing simple geometry, reduced foundation work, and material clarity to control budget and buildability.

Takeaways for practitioners

As an architect and engineer with three decades of practice, I see this project as a useful case study in resilient design under uncertainty.

Key lessons include:

 
Here is the source article for this story: Forma lifts Hudson Valley cedar-clad cubic house on angled legs