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Sustainable Catskills Cottage
New York Catskills, USA
After 10 years of frequently hiking in the Catskill mountains, a Manhattan-based family of four found the perfect spot to refresh their spirits to the sound of nature. Here, they built their very own two-story longhouse with environmental protection and natural energy in mind. Photo: Eric Petschek
Catskills cooking
As the living space is wide open to all sides, the couple found themselves in research-mode for quite a while in order to find the perfect kitchen. They wanted it to adapt to the spacious room, making sure the large windows did not get affected. Their exploration lead them to the freestanding Vipp kitchen.
Meet the owners
The Manhattan-based couple Maria and Todd live with their two daughters Inez and Luz on the Lower East Side. Here, they work as architects in their own firm IdS/R Architecture founded in 2000. For 10 years, the family of four has been hiking in the mountains, loving the wilderness and the contrast to their everyday life in Manhattan. Wanting a bit more comfort and a permanent space when going on their camping trips, the architect couple purchased a piece of land in the middle of a protected wild area in the woods. Made from prefabricated high insulated panels and running on solar energy from spring to fall season the couple build a house aiming to reduce the building’s ecological footprint.
Fall foliage
Peaking as a preferred vacation spot for the community of New York in the 1950s, the region of Catskills with its crystal clear water in the summer, fall foliage in October and great skiing opportunities in the winter still attracts the metropolitan audience who crave nature and fresh air.
