Located in the Hudson River Valley town of Millbrook, New York, this 13-acre country property is surrounded by hundreds of acres of protected land. At a point in the site’s history, it was clear cut, leaving a ring of mature deciduous and evergreen trees along the property’s perimeter with little else on the main parcel of land. Much of RKLA’s work was to re-establish deciduous and evergreen plantings throughout the property and to selectively prune or remove any of the remaining mature trees on site that were in poor health. In addition to setting up an on-going tree management plan, RKLA worked to re-establish the site’s many acres of meadows.

To improve site access and circulation, RKLA relocated the existing driveway entrance and apple orchard, created new parking areas, added stone patios and walls, and designed a series of pathways between the site’s main house, guest cottage pool house, pond, and garden areas. In particular, a system of walking trails was added through the meadow and tree line surrounding the pond to take advantage of the property and views to the Taconic Range.

Awards Won:
2022 ASLA-NY Design Award

Residence and Pool House Architect:
James Dixon Architect

Photographer:
John Kane