As part of a residential project within the agrarian landscape of Westchester County in upstate New York, Worrell Yeung designed a simple, yet striking, sculptural spa shed. The structure joins a collection of new and existing buildings for this family home. 

The firm’s North Salem Farm project combines a renovated and expanded main home, a new photography studio/garage, and spa shed on the northwest side of a 8.7-acre triangular lot. The home is integrated into the landscape as it slopes downwards from the street towards a pond and hillside.

The team employed a site strategy that shields the main house from the adjacent street and focuses views from each structure toward the landscape. The three buildings reflect the archetypal form of the American barn, however, they are distinguished by various approaches to cladding and material detail. 

“We didn’t want a monotonous experience of moving from one dark clad building to the next,” says co-principal Jejon Yeung. “As a whole, we read the collection of buildings as siblings that are closely related — like cousins.”

The spa shed completed the assembly of structures. It is located to the east of the main home and studio/garage, connected by a crushed gravel pathway. The building takes a half-gable form, in line with the typology of the other two structures. 

The spa shed, however, departs from the central buildings through its palette, which is described as both solid and porous. Sleek openings across its surface allow space for viewing and movement. The building features a hot tub sauna and an outdoor shower. It is clad in a lighter, weathered gray cypress rainscreen. 

“As the program on the site grew, we continued to play with the archetypal gabled form,” said co-principal Max Worrell. “The garage/studio has matching/similar detailing and finishes on the exterior to the main house, but we wanted to diversify and complement the material palette for the third spa structure.”