Wolf Creek

Location: Greenwich, Connecticut

Type: Residential

Description: Although contemporary in expression, this project seeks to honor the traditional building techniques, forms, and materials that have shaped New England since its earliest settlements. Chief among these inspirations is the dry stack stone wall — a defining feature of the region’s landscape.

Originally, these walls emerged almost by accident, formed from stones that farmers unearthed while clearing their fields. Here, that humble tradition is reinterpreted with intention and precision. The project transforms the raw material of New England’s past into a deliberate architectural language — one that deepens the home’s connection to both its history and its land.

Traditional dry stack walls are inherently limited by gravity, rarely exceeding four or five feet in height. To build beyond this limit, we developed a simple system of steel plates and tension cables. Steel plates, placed every four feet, act as structural “bookends,” containing the stone, while horizontal cables bind the wall together, maintaining stability. This four-foot module becomes a guiding rhythm throughout the home, informing structure, proportion, and detail.

As stone is carefully stacked, these walls rise to form solid volumes that anchor the home. The primary living spaces occupy the voids between these stone masses, while more private or secondary rooms are nestled within them.

The first of these interstitial spaces houses an indoor-outdoor swimming area, defined by full-height pocketing glass doors that dissolve the boundary between interior and landscape in every season.
The second forms the great room — a double-height gathering space centered on a sculptural fireplace, with kitchen, dining, and living areas all arranged beneath generous skylights and expansive glazing. A wooden bridge crosses overhead, linking the upper-level wings.
The third opening serves as a porte cochère, offering sheltered arrival and direct access to both the home and garage.

Above, a simple wooden roof volume rests atop the stone walls, its gabled form a quiet nod to New England’s rural vernacular. All bedrooms are contained within this upper volume, providing warmth and enclosure above the rugged stone base.

Rooted in restraint, the design complements its pastoral setting rather than competing with it. Through craft, proportion, and material honesty, the home cultivates a deliberate connection to nature and history — enriching the daily life of those who inhabit it.