Habitat: River Views in New Hope

The deck disguises the elevated foundation while providing a woodsy perch for taking in views of the river.

When a retired local couple was looking for a weekend getaway, they found a home nestled between the Delaware River and the Delaware Canal at New Hope’s southern edge. They had filled their place in Philadelphia with their collection of Asian and African art and looked forward to putting their globetrotting touch on their country house, too.

But when the home was flooded twice in two years, the couple knew they needed to take action: They wanted to raze the old home and construct a new one above the 100-year flood line. With help from Joseph Gorman, a Washington, D.C.-based architect with previous New Hope experience, they did just that, finishing the rebuild in 2014.

“The challenge was to create a house that looked like it belonged in New Hope but also had an Asian feel,” Gorman says. He met the challenge through skillful use of native stone on the exterior and Japanese-inspired woodwork inside. The large glass windows on the home’s riverward side also bring its environment indoors.

Halkin Mason Photography

By incorporating stone into the new home’s facade, Gorman harmonized it with its setting and surroundings. “When they’re not traveling, they’re up there every weekend,” Gorman says of the owners.

Halkin Mason Photography

By adding extra framing to the pool house’s original stone foundation, Gorman managed to both protect it from flood damage and give it a treehouse-like feel.

Halkin Mason Photography

The deck disguises the elevated foundation while providing a woodsy perch for taking in views of the river.

Halkin Mason Photography

The windows impart a modernist aesthetic to the space, but the extensive use of wood gives it an Asian touch.

Halkin Mason Photography

The large windows facing the river, the husband says, were “part of the genius of the design.”

Published as “River Views” in the October 2016 issue of Philadelphia magazine.