Spotlight: Bully Hill House | North Branch
Architect: Marica McKeel, Studio MM
By Joan Vos MacDonald | Photos by Brad Feinknopf/OTTO | Fall 2024 | High-Performance House
Bully Hill House is situated on a hillside, in the middle of six acres of farmland in Western Sullivan County. When architect Marica McKeel of Studio MM Architects was asked to design the North Branch home, the homeowners specified there would be no air conditioning. The house faces south to take advantage of the sweeping views, but also because it’s the best orientation for temperature control.
“They studied the site for a year before we ever built on it,” says McKeel. “It faces due south. So, it was designed intentionally for cross ventilation. With a concrete floor, it’s a thermal mass and it also holds the Earth’s temperature. It’s cool in the summer and warm in the winter. And then they heat it with radiant heat, which is also very efficient. So we have no need for air conditioning. It is not a passive house, but because of the way we designed it, it works passively.”
Air currents flow freely from the large sliding doors on the south side through easily operable windows. A breezeway connects the living space with the couple’s art studio/office, encouraging ventilation. The home is clad in maintenance-free Corten steel.
“[The Corten steel] can be reused,” says McKeel. “It’s not going to go into a landfill and has longevity as a material, therefore we don’t have to replace it or anything like that because it will last so long.”
The Bully Hill House was designed to maximize cross ventilation, as the homeowners did not want air conditioning. The home’s facade features black-stained pine and low maintenance Corten steel, which is recyclable.
A breezeway between the studio and living quarters encourages air circulation and offers outdoor space for seating.
The homeowners embrace the studio space as a place for creative focus and enrichment.
The house is heated with radiant heat, making it comfortable to stroll barefoot into the bathroom during the coldest months.
Water for the home is heated with an efficient, closed-loop system.
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