LOCATION: Pleasantville, New York
DESIGNER: David T. Henken
OWNERS: Mr. and Mrs. George Brody COST FACTS: $20,000 in 1950-51, including built-in furniture and carport masonry. Square footage: house 1080; basement 150; terrace 300 (counted at one-half); at $14.50 per square foot.
MATERIALS:Concrete block, integrally colored; cement floors; fir plank and spline ceiling and roof; birch doors.
PLAN FACTS: With only two in the family, the Brodys wanted a minimum house to start but with provision for expansion. The plan which Mr. Henken developed for them has a circular living-dining room with fireplace.
From this central space there are three extensions with curving ends: dining terrace, cantilevered over a brook, opening from one side of living room; kitchen; and a bedroom wing, with its own terrace, which contains master bedroom and study-guest room.
Curving window wall in the kitchen has indoor planting boxes, to meet a requirement of Mrs. Brody. Since the owners desired as many built-in items as possible, these include bed-sofas in the living room, a two-way desk between living room and study, beds, bookshelves, vanity and chest of drawers in master bedroom.
ECONOMIES:Single block wall thickness, Plank roof. Postponement of finishing extension, with heating, electrical and plumbing lines provided for easy hook-up later.