Nicole Migeon Architect’s (NMA) latest residential spa project is a bath house retreat for a news commentator and a professional artist. While the couple resides in the heart of New York, they escape the buzz of the city for regular respites at their country home in Western Massachusetts. Their new spa bath house makes their getaway experience complete.
Initially conceived as an interior bathroom addition for the couple’s farmhouse, NMA instead developed the idea of a freestanding modern bath house on the property where they could entertain friends or enjoy time alone. Enthused about the concept, the clients worked with the firm to contribute ideas for the building’s functions, material sources, and more. Designed to integrate with the landscape-a rural location surrounded by a river with views of the nearby mountains-the resulting building gives an architectural nod to the eighteenth-century cedar barn across the lawn, but in modern translation.
A completely sustainable project, most of the bath house’s materials were locally sourced. The area’s terrain and shifting weather patterns played key roles in the placement of clerestory windows, screens, and the selection of solar panels and roof materials. The custom fireplace uses EcoSmart biofuel.
The stone, energy-saving glass, radiant floors, and rainwater collection system were all vital components that helped shape the design. To provide an expansive interior space, NMA designed a special structural system that allowed the roof to be supported without the use of a truss or collar ties. Custom integrated roof gutters were hidden from view.
