Milo House / Elizabeth Herrmann Architecture + Design

Architects: Elizabeth Herrmann Architecture + Design
Year: 2026
Photography: Ryan Bent
Contractor: Red House Building
Cladding: Nakamoto Forestry
Materials: Gendai® yakisugi by Nakamoto Forestry
Client: Nathan and Seth
Location: Cornwall, Vermont
Country: United States

Milo House is a residence in Cornwall, Vermont, designed by Elizabeth Herrmann Architecture + Design and built by Red House Building on a sloping site defined by woodland, orchards, and long views toward the Adirondacks. The house is composed of irregular, offset forms that respond to the terrain, surrounding tree canopy, and western views. Its exterior is clad in Nakamoto Forestry’s Gendai® yakisugi, a charred Japanese cedar siding selected for its dark coloration, textured surface, durability, dimensional stability, and resistance to rot and pests. The Gendai® finish is brushed once after charring, reducing the soot while revealing more of the cedar grain beneath the carbonized surface. In contrast with the dark exterior, the interiors are bright and open, with lighter wood finishes, natural light, lofted ceilings, and framed views through the surrounding trees. Wood acoustic ceiling treatments address sound within the larger gathering spaces, while separate home offices on different floors accommodate remote work. A detached sauna and garden shed use the same yakisugi siding, carrying the main residence’s material language across the property.

Milo house / elizabeth herrmann architecture + design

Milo House was conceived for homeowners Nathan and Seth after their move from Boston, named for their dog, Milo. Their brief called for a warm contemporary home that could support remote work, entertaining, and a slower pace of daily life. Rather than treating these requirements independently of the site, architect Elizabeth Herrmann used movement through the property and house as a central part of the design approach.

The residence rises from the hillside as a collection of irregular, offset volumes. Their arrangement responds to the slope, tree canopy, and long western views, allowing the architecture to adjust to the conditions of the site rather than imposing a singular geometric form. Within the house, this strategy creates shifts in scale and proportion as spaces unfold from one area to another. Cathedral-like interior volumes are balanced by more contained passages and rooms, producing the moments of compression and release described in the project brief. The arrangement also supports cross-ventilation, while openings direct views through the trees and toward the distant Adirondacks.

The exterior material was selected to strengthen the relationship between the building and its wooded setting. Nakamoto Forestry’s Gendai® yakisugi gives the house a dark, textured surface that recalls the color and irregularity of tree bark and allows the architecture to sit quietly against the surrounding forest.

“We were really interested in having the house feel natural, almost bark-like in tone and texture,” says Herrmann. “We love working with natural materials that have texture, patina, and depth of character.”

Yakisugi was considered from an early stage of the project. Herrmann had previously used Nakamoto Forestry cladding in her residential work, while the homeowners had independently envisioned the material for their new home. Produced from Japanese cedar, or sugi, the wood is intensely flame-treated to increase durability and dimensional stability and to improve resistance to rot and pests. These characteristics corresponded with the clients’ preference for a low-maintenance exterior.

For Milo House, the architects specified the Gendai® variation. The cedar is brushed once after charring, which softens the soot-covered surface and exposes more of the natural grain while maintaining the depth and dark coloration produced by the burning process. The finish also accommodates the natural changes that occur as the material ages.

“With any natural material, there’s a conversation about how it will age,” says Herrmann. “The point of yakisugi isn’t for it to stay frozen in time. It’s a living material designed to evolve. The clients really embraced that idea.”

Inside, the material and tonal character changes considerably. The dark exterior gives way to brighter interiors characterized by lighter wood finishes, generous natural light, and views framed through the surrounding trees. Lofted ceilings increase the vertical dimension of the principal gathering spaces, while a wood acoustic ceiling treatment helps soften sound within these larger volumes.

The organization of the house also reflects the owners’ remote-working needs. Separate home offices are positioned on different floors, allowing each occupant to have an individual workspace while maintaining the broader residential program for gathering and everyday life. Beyond the main residence, a detached sauna and garden shed are clad in the same Gendai® yakisugi siding. Repeating the material across the three structures establishes continuity throughout the property and reinforces the project’s close visual relationship with its wooded Vermont setting.