By Tyler R. Morrissey
In Darien resides a home that offers an award-winning waterfront experience like no other. Our firm’s exclusive listing at 17 Brush Island Road in Darien, Connecticut, listed with Stephan von Jena, was the recipient of not one, but five 2018 Home Building Industry (HOBI) awards.
At the annual HOBI Awards dinner in Southington, Conn. on November 13th, the property was officially awarded first place in the following categories: Project of the Year, Best Spec Home Over $7 million, Best Home Staging (Leia Ward – LTW Design), Best Spec Home Kitchen and Best Amenity for their exquisite site work that included perennial gardens, legacy trees and a boat dock. Paul Harris of Cole Harris Associates, the architecture firm that designed this listing, also took home the HOBI award for Outstanding Home over $7 million for the neighboring property at 21 Brush Island.
The HOBI Awards are Connecticut’s most prestigious housing industry program, acknowledging distinction in new construction, land development, remodeling, sales and marketing and home financing. A panel of HOBI judges with expertise in home building selects the winners each year by reviewing applications submitted by Home Builders Association (HBA) members. The judges then travel the state for several days, touring selected homes and neighborhoods before making final decisions.
In addition to their work on 17 Brush Island Road, Cole Harris Associates is also responsible for executing projects throughout the United States and abroad. The Westport based firm has been recognized by the Connecticut Chapter of AIA for their commitment to sustainable design, and they specialize in looking at how local history, climate, site, environment and local architectural traditions and construction methods can inform a project.
Serendipity, a luxury lifestyle magazine that celebrates lifestyle in Fairfield County, Conn. and Westchester County, N.Y., recently caught up with Cole Harris Associates to get the inside scoop on what it takes to work on a project that’s capable of winning multiple HOBI awards.
Sitting elevated on 1.23 acres with 430 feet of shoreline, a private dock and sandy beach, 17 Brush Island offers 7,900 square feet of custom built luxurious living space with water views from nearly every room of the property. The family room features a dramatic, two-story stone fireplace and opens to the award-winning kitchen that is equipped with multiple islands and a built-in bar area and overlooks the pool, grilling area and beautifully landscaped yard. Upstairs, the second floor is highlighted by five en-suite bedrooms and a master suite that includes vaulted ceilings and a five-foot gas fireplace.
“It is a great honor for our team to represent this masterful HOBI award winning property,” said Paul Breunich, President and CEO of William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty. “Cole Harris Associates defines the architectural quality embodied in these awards through the meticulous construction of this magnificent, upscale home. The architect on this project, Paul Harris, has done a stellar job of creating an artistic vision in the form of a house, and I congratulate him and his firm on these well-deserved awards. These recognitions are absolutely in line with our commitment to delivering the exceptional to our customers.”
For more information on 17 Brush Island Road, click here or contact Stephan von Jena, svonjena@williampitt.com, 203-434-8472
