Lake Placid, NY

The students at North Country School learn about the planet as they nurture it through organic practic­es, in the course of their exploration of a unique ecosystem, through participa­tion in green building and repair, and by building a community with each other and with staff. After completing a comprehensive Master Plan for the 196-acre campus, STA was called upon to design a new student home for eleven junior boarding school students (grades 4–9) and two sets of house parents who live here during the school year. This child-friendly home includes a crown of windows looking to the Adirondack high peaks, an interior bridge on arching tree trunks, a slide paralleling the staircase between first and second floors, a giant seat-shaped boulder forming the hearth, and peeled tree trunks supporting second floor framing. Obeying the school’s progressive philosophy, the design grew from the site – from local stones and lumber (beech, birch, pine) from the school’s Forest Stewardship Council-certified forest. Facing due south for solar gain, the house features a super-insulated skin, photovoltaic panels, energy saving heating, lighting and ventilating systems and water conserving appliances.