There was no choice for Peter A. Giordano, general contractor for this pool house in Lyme, to achieve anything short of perfection. Giordano, who heads the Mystic-based Tier 1, had to pour and construct the concrete walls on site in such a way that their surfaces would be flawless, since the finished product would also form the finished interiors—notably the fireplace wall, kitchen space and bath/shower area. The steelwork, too, that defined the dramatically articulated clerestory and that served as the frame and support for the sliding glass door also had to be seamless, for what was an aesthetic element was also a supportive one.
The first—and biggest—decision contractor Scott Hobbs had to help make about this New Canaan property was whether to build anything at all. Once it was decided that the existing Colonial home couldn’t be renovated, plans proceeded for a new Colonial-style residence, pool house, game room/family room over the garage, and separate stairwell. Hobbs admits that the biggest building challenge was fabricating the barn-like game room, which involved old-fashioned timber framing methods, notably mortise and tenon joints—then finding ways to accommodate modern-day ductwork. As someone who lived for years on this very same street, Hobbs sees the new residence as both sympathetic to the existing houses and even as a neighborhood improvement.
Anthony Genovesi, vice president of the Bedford Hills, New York–based Genovesi & Sons, characterizes the renovation of this Darien house as being a highly selective one, as opposed to a gut renovation, which, ironically can be an easier endeavor. Much needed to remain in place while new elements were added. In addition to stripping the exterior to the sheathing, adding layers of insulation, rain screens, vapor barriers, and shingles, his team installed new windows throughout, many of which were larger and others of which needed to be installed where no windows had been before. The most challenging—and rewarding—interior work involved the fabrication of an ornamental, decidedly elegant staircase. All of the work was accomplished with the owners living in the home.
