Nyack Residence

Project Description

Tweed Residence is a contemporary single-family home at 145 Tweed Boulevard in Nyack, New York, conceived in direct response to its steep, wooded Hudson Valley site. Set into the hillside, the residence extends outward through a series of horizontal floor plates, terraces, and deep roof overhangs that frame expansive views toward the Hudson River.

Arrival begins from Tweed Boulevard, where a bridge crosses the sloping terrain and leads directly to the main living level. Inside, the kitchen, dining, family, and living spaces form an open social environment organized around daylight and panoramic views. Private bedrooms are located on the lower level, while recreational and wellness spaces occupy the basement below.

Rather than separating the architecture from its landscape, the design uses the hillside to shape the building’s circulation, structure, and spatial sequence. Terraces and wraparound balconies extend each level into the surrounding tree canopy, creating a home that balances openness toward the river with privacy and shelter from the wooded slope.

Architecture + Massing

The residence is composed of three stepped levels embedded into the hillside. Broad cantilevered floor plates, continuous balconies, and projecting roof planes emphasize the home’s horizontal proportions while allowing the massing to follow the natural topography.

The street-facing elevation maintains a lower, more private character, while the downhill elevation opens through expansive glazing and layered terraces. This contrast allows the residence to appear restrained from Tweed Boulevard while becoming increasingly transparent as it extends toward the Hudson River.

Materiality

A restrained palette of local stone, warm wood, glass, and dark metal connects the residence to its Hudson Valley setting. Stone walls anchor the lower levels into the hillside, creating a sense of permanence and continuity with the rocky terrain.

Warm wood soffits and exterior surfaces soften the building’s horizontal roof planes, while dark metal edges provide definition and visual contrast. Large areas of glazing bring daylight into the interior and reflect the surrounding trees, sky, and changing seasonal conditions.

Residential Experience

The residential experience is organized around a continuous relationship with the landscape. Open living, dining, kitchen, and family areas share the primary level, creating a flexible social environment with uninterrupted views toward the river and direct access to outdoor terraces.

The lower level provides a quieter private zone containing the bedrooms, bathrooms, and primary suite. Bedrooms extend toward private terraces, while the primary suite includes a dedicated bathroom and outdoor area with a jacuzzi. Throughout the residence, large windows and operable glass panels support natural light, ventilation, and changing views of the forest canopy.

Amenities

The home includes a series of indoor and outdoor amenities supporting gathering, recreation, wellness, and relaxation. The primary level features connected living and entertaining spaces that open onto broad terraces overlooking the landscape.

The lower levels include a home theater, gym, and additional flexible basement space, along with direct access to a walkout terrace. Outdoor balconies, landscaped viewing areas, and the private jacuzzi extend the residential program into the hillside and allow the surrounding landscape to become part of everyday life.

Design Approach

The design approach begins with the site’s steep topography, wooded character, and long views toward the Hudson River. Instead of leveling the terrain or treating it as a limitation, the residence uses the slope to establish its stepped organization, elevated arrival, and relationship between public and private spaces.

The bridge creates a gradual transition from the street into the home, while the descending levels follow the hillside and provide each major space with access to daylight and landscape. Deep overhangs control direct sunlight, high-performance glazing strengthens the connection to the exterior, and operable openings encourage natural ventilation.

Together, these strategies create a residence that feels anchored to the hillside while projecting toward the horizon—a home shaped by the balance between refuge, openness, and environmental connection.