Elements of the main home were initially built from field stone found on the property. The new owners continued this tradition, unearthing local stones. They were then checked for quality by the stone mason and added to the base of the house, hallways, and floors.

Throughout the restoration process, the project revealed many limitations that the team adjusted and overcame. On the southwest quadrant, the “pigsty” stands on the foundation of an old barn that appeared to have collapsed in a 1930s hurricane. After serving as its namesake (a pigsty) for a time, an owner in the mid-century converted it into an apartment. Today, it needed to be updated while also playing an instrumental part of rainwater management for the property.

The plan now separates the pigsty into two completely re-imagined apartments, apart from the 1960s pine-paneled kitchen, which was re-used. Moisture issues throughout were addressed including the grain silo attached to the pigsty, which leaked terribly and had to be waterproofed. It was then transformed into a modern, spherical bathroom to accommodate the adjacent guest suite.

The biggest gesture was replacing the existing roof with a green roof in order to accommodate stormwater. With the addition of the new garage on the principle residence, the local township required a new solution to account for rainwater on the property.

Water management was also added to the icehouse.