White Oak

BUILD

Custom Home Build, Residence - FOR SALE

LIVING SPACE

7200 ft²‍

COMPLETION

2025, Work in Progress (current pictures are renderings)

LOCATION

Wellesley, MA

COLLABORATORS

Architect: Of Possible

Structural Engineer: H & O Structural Engineering

‍Renders: DarcStudio

Brand: Slash

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We at NS Builders, led by myself, Nick Schiffer, embarked on an ambitious project with a clear vision: to redefine the concept of “builder grade” in New England and across the United States. For over a decade, our team has been committed to crafting custom homes and interiors for our private clients. Now, we’ve taken a significant leap with our new development company, inaugurating our journey with the White Oak Residence.Typically, homes designed and built for the market, without a specific homeowner in mind, aim for a minimum viable product that maximizes return while minimizing risk for the developer. We, however, set out to challenge this standard by offering a genuinely high-performance and exceptionally designed home, showcasing our steadfast commitment to craftsmanship. This project is more than just a structure; it’s a manifesto to revolutionize market perceptions and elevate home buyers’ expectations in design and construction.

The White Oak Residence’s design draws inspiration from the brick and masonry styles of large estates in Eastern Massachusetts. We’ve reinterpreted the distinguished massing of Georgian and Federal style homes into a stoic, slightly asymmetrical masonry shingle building. The design presents a somewhat familiar form, yet behaves in a unique and playful way, exuding privacy and presence from the street view. The house features expansive triple-glazed fixed, sliding, and tilt-turn windows, creating a “glass house” effect with wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the private outdoor areas at the back.Internally, the residence is a testament to refined taste and elegance. Soft plaster merges with white oak millwork, flooring, and ceilings, complemented by predominantly regional marble and stones. The central feature of the plan is a two-story dining room, anchored by a curving plaster and white oak staircase under a soaring 25-foot atrium. This skylit atrium, clad in the same brick shingle as the building’s facade, ingeniously integrates the exterior with the interior.In terms of engineering and construction, the White Oak Residence is built to Passive House standards, vastly exceeding the norms of traditional “builder grade” homes. This project is not merely a building; it’s a new expression of suburban American architecture and a milestone in redefining what is possible in residential construction.

See the plans