Darien residents' architectural firm receives accolades

Hilton-VanderHorn Architects, owned by Darien residents Charles Hilton and Douglas VanderHorn, has been selected as the winner of the 2012 National Brick in Architecture award competition in two categories: "Residential Single Family" and "Paving & Landscape Architecture."

The competition has been sponsored by the Brick Industry Association since 1989. The BIA has honored Hilton-VanderHorn Architects for its outstanding design incorporating clay brick for both aesthetics and sustainability. The award-winning project in the "Residence Single Family" category was a renovation of a French manor estate in Greenwich. Hilton-VanderHorn Architects sought to improve its appearance by giving it a more authentic French look with better proportions and authentic period detailing. Although the use of limestone was an option, brick was chosen due to its color options, scale and visual interest. The versatility and workability of the brick made many of the details possible; brick quoins along the corners of the house, jack arches above the doors and windows, the stringcourse between the first and second floors, and the massive chimneys, with their inset panels, that anchor the various parts of the composition.

The winning project in the "Paving and Landscape Architecture" category involved renovating two cabanas situated at the end of a pool, on the grounds of the same property. The cabanas were completely remodeled using brick to match that of the main house and designed in a French style, with whimsically designed slate roofs. Rosy salmon-colored brick was chosen for its relation to the main house and for its durability, character and for its natural fit into the landscape.

Hilton-VanderHorn Architects is a 21-year-old Greenwich firm that specializes in traditional residential design. The firm has completed projects across the country, with the majority of their work being located in Fairfield and Westchester counties. The firm is the recipient of American Institute of Architects, Connecticut Home Builders Association and various periodicals and trade association design awards. Its projects have been featured in national and regional shelter publications, as well as in books, such as "Shingle Style Houses - Past and Present," "Dream Homes of New England," "The Classicist" and "A Decade of Art and Architecture 1992-2002." The firm has been featured this year in two new TV series: a pilot for "The Architects of Modern Living" and "Homes and Estates -- Today & Tomorrow."

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Darien residents' architectural firm receives accolades