SHORT HILLS, NEW JERSEY
The Four Square House is located within a steeply sloping, wooded glade in New Jersey, surrounded by native Beech and Oak trees. The landscape is organized into four distinct square volumes, each carefully carved from the surrounding woodlands. These volumes are designed to accommodate a variety of programs tailored for a young family while offering flexibility to adapt to their future needs.
The first square volume serves as the arrival courtyard to their home, featuring sculptural walls and flowering dogwood trees that frame the entry. The next volume serves as the primary outdoor gathering space and center of the home, transitioning into a native grass meadow at the rear of the house. A swimming pool connects this area to the third square volume-- a large lawn for informal play. The final square, elevated on the property's ridge, acts as an outdoor entertainment space. Border gardens, including a sunny perennial garden and a woodland shade garden, respond to the site’s varying exposures and frame the latter two squares. A meandering footpath winds along the sloping terrain, offering a woodland stroll that connects the different parts of the landscape.