A Central Glass Cube Is the Heart of This New Jersey Lake Home

In Princeton, New Jersey, a couple set out to build a home with the beauty of their natural surroundings at the forefront. With idyllic Carnegie Lake as their backyard, the serene residential site offered an alluring opportunity to be surrounded by nature on all sides.

Engaging architect Pierre-Henri Hoppenot, founder and principal of Brooklyn-based Studio PHH, the home’s design and materiality leans into contrast. Two monolithic brick volumes anchor the home on either side, acting as a grounding force connecting structure to site. A glass-enclosed central volume links these two masses, becoming a spatial void through which nature can permeate, unobstructed. "The concept of the monolith split down the middle creates a clear dichotomy of space, program, and experience," shares Hoppenot. "The split down the middle allows the users to feel like the landscape is moving through the project."

Organizationally, the home’s layout is simple and intuitive—private living spaces are tucked away in the protected brick volumes, while the glass-enclosed central volume is a public space for friends and family to gather. Although Hoppenot’s clients were looking to build a full-time residence for themselves, they also needed space and flexibility to host their children and grandkids for regular visits. "A key idea from the inception was to have the home function as easily for 20 people as it does for just two," says Hoppenot. While there is ample living space in the 7,800 square foot home, guest zones can be easily closed off when the couple is on their own.