Stephen Gerard Dietemann

Scribner Residence

Built in 2004, this 1600 sf house was originally designed for me. My intention was to design a small house that worked on this oddly shaped, steeply sloped site near town, directly adjacent to the railroad tracks.  Rather than fight the location — frankly, I am a big fan of trains — I used the imagery of the train, particularly the caboose, to inform the design of the house.  The linear shape and curved roof, as well as the exterior lighting units, all pay homage to the train.  The exposed steel structure — both inside and out — is supplemented by the steel siding and roofing.  Requiring little maintenance or energy, the house attracted a great deal of attention in the somewhat tradition-bound Berkshires.  In addition to several articles in regional publications including ‘Berkshire Living’, it was awarded a WMAIA Honor Award for design excellence in 2009 and was featured on House and Garden Television in 2010.

The house was purchased by the current owner — himself a fan of trains — in 2009 and he then added an exterior service space, and renovated the kitchen, the entry, and the bathrooms, while still maintaining the spirit of the original design.  He also had extensive landscaping and hardscaping installed around the house, extending the spirit of the house into the surrounding outside areas.