Renovating older buildings is one of the primary principles of green building design. We transformed this Adirondack summer cottage located on an historic estate in Elizabethtown, New York into year round retreat by winterizing the existing cottage and adding a new structure containing bedrooms and baths for family and guests.

The addition, located at right angles to the existing cottage, forms an outdoor courtyard with dramatic westerly views of the Adirondack Mountains. The design of the addition mimics the gable form and period details of the existing cottage such as the stone foundation and patio, flared shingled walls, diamond light windows and elaborate timber framed elements inside and out.