ESSENTIALS
Firm Name: 1100 Architect
Principals: David Piscuskas, Juergen Riehm
Headquarters: New York, NY
Accolades: Forbes Architecture’s “America’s Best-in-State Residential Architects,” 2025
House Name: House in Wellesley
Location: Wellesley, Massachusetts
Area & Layout: 13,961 square feet on .71 acres; 5 BR, 8 BA
Architectural Photographer: Peter Aaron (peteraaron.net)
It’s a problem that has perplexed architects for the last century: How do you make a modern house fit in a traditional neighborhood? That was the challenge that David Piscuskas and his team from 1100 Architect faced when they were asked to design a contemporary home for a family of four in Wellesley, Massachusetts.
“The landscape of Wellesley is dotted with white clapboard-clad houses derived from traditional New England forms,” says the New York City–based architect. “With this house, we took those material principles—making a taut, white, clapboard volume—but expressed them in decidedly contemporary ways.”
Resembling a pair of interlocking white cubes, the structure strikes a provocative pose on its leafy suburban lot. Piscuskas kept the footprint compact to mirror surrounding houses, but rejected conventional clapboard siding in favor of flush-mounted fir boards held in place with clips.
“Though it might look different from the neighbors at first glance, we designed it with a profound respect for the material and architectural vernacular of Wellesley,” Piscuskas says. “And in that way, it fits into its geographic context, too.”
The house was built with a steel frame, eliminating the need for interior columns, which enhanced daylight, circulation and sightlines throughout the interior. The driveway loops around the side yard, depositing cars in an underground garage, maintaining unobstructed views of the landscape through the home’s floor–to-ceiling windows.
The flexible, open-plan layout was designed to adapt to the family’s changing needs (a third child recently joined the brood), with a quartet of family rooms arrayed across its four levels and smaller spaces woven throughout to accommodate more intimate gatherings, abetted by retractable sliding doors. A dramatic floating staircase (a signature of the firm) links the main floors, which are embellished with blue and fuschia accents. The decor offers a colorful contrast to the austere exterior, allowing the house to honor the neighborhood while indulging the whims of its occupants.
ABOVE: “What began as a client’s simple wish to live within a white cube evolved into a house shaped by precision and a sense of calm,” Piscuskas says. “Flush glazing and carefully resolved detailing soften the boundary between architecture and landscape, giving the home a quiet presence in its neighborhood.”
Peter Aaron
ABOVE: The home’s steel framework permitted unobstructed living and dining spaces on the main floor and a double-height atrium oriented around the two-sided gas fireplace.
Peter Aaron
ABOVE: “In the living room, large windows frame the surrounding landscape as a backdrop to the home’s bold interiors,” says Piscuskas. “The restrained architectural envelope allows the furnishings, artwork and color palette to become a more expressive part of the space.” Interior design by Ray Booth.
Peter Aaron
ABOVE: “The kitchen was designed around a double island configuration that allows for full circulation and the ability to prepare and serve from all sides. A continuous wall of European walnut cabinetry brings warmth and material contrast to the otherwise light-filled, minimalist interior,” Piscuskas says.
Peter Aaron
ABOVE: The family/media room on the main floor flanks a floating staircase that connects to the bedroom level above. Sliding door panels allow the room to remain open to adjacent living areas, or to be closed off when a quieter, more intimate atmosphere is desired.
Peter Aaron
ABOVE: “Viewed from the second floor, the cantilevered stair landing becomes both a sculptural architectural element and an informal place to pause,” Piscuskas says. The surrounding glass bay overlooks the basketball court and trees in back.
Peter Aaron
ABOVE: “One of four family rooms in the home, this secondary living area is located on the bedroom level and was designed as a space for bedtime stories with the children,” Piscuskas says. It also offers parents a place to recuperate during the kids’ nap times.
Peter Aaron
ABOVE: A rooftop terrace off the third floor includes an outdoor dining area and a gathering space oriented around a gas firepit. “Elevated within the canopy of surrounding trees, the terrace gives the feeling of being immersed in the treetops,” Piscuskas observes.
Peter Aaron
ABOVE: The driveway culminates in a garage that’s tucked below grade, keeping both the cars and their shelter out of sight.
Peter Aaron