Let It Snow

It's hard to ignore the amount of snow that's been falling on New York City; an embarrassment of riches for cross-country skiers, a winter wonderland for dogs and children, and a tough commute for your friendly neighborhood blogger. I can't imagine that by the time we have the last blizzard in the beginning of May, it won't set a record for cumulative snowfall in the city.

So it's a good day to share a few "snow house design" projects--contemporary houses in wintry climes that accommodate their terrain, look good with snow on them, and offer comfortable-looking, inviting interiors in which to ride out the cold and observe the snowy landscape. In short, three places I'd like to be today.

First is Ten Broek Cottage in Columbia County, New York, by Messana O'Rorke. A modernist, flat-roofed addition that integrates artfully and photogenically with a traditional clapboard house, Ten Broek Cottage received a Best Of Year award from Interior Design in 2006 I can't imagine a more beautiful photograph being taken in summer. The interior, with the plush rug and fire in the hearth, completes a quintessentially Yankee narrative.

Second is the Holiday House in Scheidegg, Switzerland, by Andreas, Fuhrimann, Gabriell, and Hachler (AFGH) of Zurich. Perched on steep terrain, and composed of concrete and wood, the house commands spectacular views of the Alps and looks like a safe retreat in a blizzard. I like the horizontal minimalism of the room shown here, and the way the window is framed like a landscape photograph.

Last is the Casa Techos (Roof House), a staggered, long rectangular box on box-the end view is shown here--of concrete, wood, and copper on the shore of Lake Nahuelhuapi in southern Argentina, by local architect Mathias Klotz. The lit façade draws you in from the cold gloaming with an austere but colorful, warm and abstract quality that is then reproduced in the interior.

So, again, let it snow. Thanks to archnewhome.com for collating these projects.