Architect Peter Pennoyer Shares Favorite Design Projects and Savors Spring in Millbrook
By Betsy Maury
Headshot by Jay Ackerman
Architect Peter Pennoyer’s romance with the Hudson Valley began years before he and his wife, interior designer Katie Ridder, decided to build a second home in Millbrook. Drawn to the Hudson Valley while working on a design project years before, Pennoyer and Ridder bought land in 2010 and quickly set about designing and decorating a dream house for themselves (a first, for Pennoyer) that would reflect their design sensibilities and capture the spirit and character of the surrounding farmland. 14 years and a stunning house and garden later, the husband-wife team have have fallen in love with the place and spend as much time as they can in their Millbrook home.
Pennoyer’s recent book with Anne Walker, City | Country, published by Vendome Press celebrates the work and design journey of the multi-faceted architect. The book chronicles Pennoyer’s projects over the last 12 years illustrating 19 gorgeous projects, ranging from urban townhouses and apartment buildings to rural retreats, island abodes, and coastal homes. It’s divided into two sections, “City” and “Country,” and whether in an urban setting or in the countryside, each project reflects the firm’s imaginative interpretation of history and a commitment to instilling its work with an authentic sense of place.
The timing of the publication came after Pennoyer experienced creative and professional growth at his firm, evolving from a 30-person firm rooted in history, scholarship, and drawing, to a collaborative team skilled with digital tools. The past decade or so, writes Pennoyer in the book’s introduction, really saw an expansion and diversification of the firm’s work.
“Documenting such a diverse portfolio of completed projects was challenging. The photographs tell most of the story, but we decided that plans (and for some houses, sections) would be essential. The projects are presented to showcase the diverse talents in our firm—we now have a deep bench with several teams, each attuned to specific project types and scales. Making this book was a great pleasure because it allows us to credit, and honor, the efforts of so many within our office—including architects, designers, landscape architects, engineers, builders, and most of all, our wonderful clients.”
For Peter and Katie, building their own house in Millbrook has allowed them to savor all that Dutchess County has to offer. For them, everything in Millbrook is about the seasons and nature. Like all gardeners, Katie is busy in her garden this time of year while Peter enjoys stopping at Babette’s for breakfast, then heading to the farmer’s market for mushrooms, pickles, or whatever else looks inspiring—or popping into Marona’s Market. Pennoyer is the chef in the family and relishes the seasonal produce of the Hudson Valley. Among the couple’s favorite natural pursuits are a walk around Bontecou Lake (now part of the Jesse and Gayle Bontecou Wildlife Conservation Preserve) or meandering on the trails at the 1000-acre Wethersfield Estate.
Whether there would be a Dutchess County dream project on the horizon, Pennoyer hedged. His firm continues to evolve to design projects that bring a sense of belonging to clients, wherever they live. “Walking through our studio today you would see drawings for a two-bedroom, off-the-grid, net zero cabin in a wilderness area in Montana, and a new, traditional limestone and brick 20-story apartment house in the Upper East Side. In between, we have a few houses on the drawing boards. These projects all started as hand drawings and are now in our 3D software, emerging as detailed digital models.”
For Peter Pennoyer, the scope of work continues. —ppapc.com