New York practice Desai Chia Architecture has wrapped a house in Connecticut situated on top of a rocky ledge with charred cedar and large windows that overlook the hilly landscape.
Ledge House is located in Cornwall, Connecticut on a site that is occupied by a large boulder deposited on the hillside hundreds of thousands of years ago when the nearby Appalachian Mountains were forming.

The 2,400-square-foot (223-square-metre) house features a gabled roofline that takes cues from traditional barn architecture and the historic covered bridge in West Cornwall.
Its facade is clad with charred cedar, which is darkened using the Japanese technique shou sugi ban, and it is topped with aluminium roof.

"The Ledge House clients asked us to design a new home that would resonate with the history of the Connecticut Valley, include a material palette that is environmentally friendly, and work with the challenging site on a large rock ledge," Desai Chia Architecture said. "The boulder is a rugged companion to the house and acts as a muse for the uphill forest views," it added.

To construct the one-storey structure the studio removed an existing cabin on the property, leaving only its foundation that was then expanded to bring the house closer to the rugged ledge. Reusing the existing foundation saved the project money and also reduced construction waste.
To eliminate the need for cross bracing the studio has used balloon framing, a method that involves long studs s...