The document outlines several architectural projects by SPG Architects, showcasing designs that prioritize environmental sensitivity, modernist aesthetics, and functionality. Notable projects include a self-sufficient residence in Costa Rica, a hilltop home in North Carolina with expansive views, and a renovated townhouse in NYC blending historical preservation with modern living. Each project exemplifies thoughtful integration of architecture with its surroundings and advanced technological features.

1. [SPG]
a r c h i t e c t s
127 west 26 street #800 new york new york 10001 www.spgarchitects.com tel 212 366 5500 fax 212 366 6559

2. CASA TORCIDA
Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica
[SPG]
a r c h i t e c t s
aerial view
This project is the first of several to be undertaken for a single
client on the coast of the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica. Inheriting
an abandoned steel frame and concrete slab structure, we were
asked to develop 18000 SF of indoor/outdoor residence on a
jungle mountainside overlooking the Golfo Dulce. The primary
criteria for this project were as follows: to be environmentally
sensitive, technologically advanced, and modernist by design.
The jungle wraps the house as the house wraps a piece of the
jungle. The spectacular view out to the bay merges with the
infinity pool. The flexible edges of the enclosed portion of the
home provide a seamless flow from inside to out.
The house is entirely self-sufficient. Photovoltaic cells on the
roof gather power from the sun, which is stored to run the few
appliances and low-consumption lighting planned. Solar hot
water panels provide domestic hot water. Maximizing cross
ventilation and providing efficient solar shading has eliminated
the need for air conditioning in this year-round tropical climate.
These technological features, architectural planning and
sensitive detailing create an indigenous yet distinctly modern
piece of architecture.

3. [SPG]
a r c h i t e c t s
pool terrace

4. [SPG]
a r c h i t e c t s
yoga deck and photo voltaic cells

5. [SPG]
a r c h i t e c t s
pool at night

6. [SPG]
a r c h i t e c t s
courtyard at dusk

7. LEICESTER HOUSE
Asheville (Leicester), North Carolina
[SPG]
a r c h i t e c t s
This hilltop residence, located at the edge of a wooded knoll in
the rolling foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, has expansive
southern and western views. Approaching through a dense
woods, one arrives at a striking single story façade of corten
steel in a wood frame.Ahint of the views is provided through the
glass door, but it is not until entry that the full impact of the hilltop
views can be experienced. The rear glass walls, facing West
and South, open to rolling farmland below and the mountains
beyond.
The entry level serves as the primary living area, with a guest
wing carved into the hilltop on a level below. Functionality and
energy efficiency are achieved both by this programmatic zoning
as well as the careful choice of materials, fixtures, fittings, and
energy. The ‘greening’ of the house complements its visual
warmth, grounding the modern structure its a rural landscape.
rear facade

8. [SPG]
a r c h i t e c t s
entry facade detail

9. [SPG]
a r c h i t e c t s
living from dining

10. [SPG]
a r c h i t e c t s
deck and green roof

11. [SPG]
a r c h i t e c t s
rear facade
MAMARONECK HOUSE
Mamaroneck, NY
Sitting on a wooded Westchester County site, this 5500 SF
house consists of a large kitchen, dining and living rooms, a
study, a large master suite, a family room, and four additional
bedrooms. The 3000 SF conditioned basement incorporates
a children’s play area, a media center, and a small gym. A
3-car garage rounds out the program. The formally composed
street facade presents itself frontally to street but addresses
the driveway with a dynamic entrance canopy. The rear façade
is animated with more dynamic relationships between indoor
and outdoor living spaces. This side of the house is defined
by a double-volume transparent cube and several more solid
volumes that provide a more ambiguous relationship between
indoors and out. A free-standing dining pavilion further blurs
this distinction. The house is rendered in a minimal architectural
vocabulary of stucco, wood screens & cladding, grey tiles &
plaster, stainless steel, and walnut floors & millwork. Natural
light and shadow are purposefully manipulated with the large
planar openings, while the exterior façade is dappled and
softened by tree-filtered daylight.

12. [SPG]
a r c h i t e c t s
front facade

13. [SPG]
a r c h i t e c t s
living room

14. [SPG]
a r c h i t e c t s
living room

15. [SPG]
a r c h i t e c t s
stair

16. [SPG]
a r c h i t e c t s
kitchen

17. [SPG]
a r c h i t e c t s
rear facade

18. [SPG]
a r c h i t e c t s
rear facade
WEST VILLAGE TOWNHOUSE
West Village, NYC
Constructed in 1836 in the Greek Revival style, this townhouse
has been called the ‘Best Preserved’ house in its West Village
row by the Historic District Report. In addition, SPG’s carefully
conceived rooftop addition which maximizes the home’s size
at 5300 SF was called ‘ingenious’ by the NYC Landmark
Commissioners as it seamlessly extended the roofline to
mask the sizable additions. The house had been divided into
two duplex units, but has been unified by a continuous curving
central staircase into a flexible five-bedroom and seven-
bathroom single-family home. Additional features include a 500
bottle wine-cellar, an excavated media room beneath the 800
SF rear-yard garden terrace, a modern kitchen, and an open
plan parlor floor. A large skylight brightens the 5th floor living
area and brings light down through the center of the house
through the open stair, while a two-story steel and glass facade
unifies the kitchen, dining, and living areas with the outdoor
living spaces, creating light-filled interiors.

19. [SPG]
a r c h i t e c t s
kitchen

20. [SPG]
a r c h i t e c t s
stair

21. [SPG]
a r c h i t e c t s
stair detail

22. [SPG]
a r c h i t e c t s
front facade

23. [SPG]
a r c h i t e c t s
building facade
BROADWAY TRIPLEX
New York, NY
Located on NYC’s Broadway, this project entails the complete
gut renovation of the upper 3 levels of a 4-story building into
a single 3225 sq ft triplex unit. The developer Client for this
project initially conceived the renovation of this 1890’s four-story
building to provide rental income, but with SPG Architects, saw
the potential of the space as a residence for his young family.
With its private street entrance, the resultant triplex provides a
residential sensibility of a townhouse, but the unit is detached
from the urban activity of the street below. Carefully executed
acoustical isolation between the residence and the commercial
space and the 1000 SF landscaped rear terrace helps provide
an urban refuge for the family. The existing building was built
with a masonry and wood structure and had to be reconstructed
in accordance with Landmarks Preservation Commission
standards, new building and fire codes; this meant the existing
shell was maintained and enhanced while the completely
new interiors were updated to meet modern standards and
expectations.

24. [SPG]
a r c h i t e c t s
kitchen detail

25. [SPG]
a r c h i t e c t s
kitchen

26. [SPG]
a r c h i t e c t s
living area

27. [SPG]
a r c h i t e c t s
rear terrace

28. [SPG]
a r c h i t e c t s
garden facade