{"id":602381,"date":"2026-04-14T13:00:46","date_gmt":"2026-04-14T17:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/design-milk.com\/?p=602381"},"modified":"2026-04-14T16:02:30","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T20:02:30","slug":"marc-thorpes-forest-edge-house-blends-beauty-and-self-sufficiency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/design-milk.com\/marc-thorpes-forest-edge-house-blends-beauty-and-self-sufficiency\/","title":{"rendered":"Marc Thorpe\u2019s Forest Edge House Blends Beauty and Self Sufficiency"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>There is no mistaking the core philosophy of the <a href=\"https:\/\/edificeupstate.com\/forest-edge-house\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Forest Edge House<\/strong><\/a>, a 1,500-square-foot home nestled into the woods of the western Catskill Mountains. On the southern face of the house, a grid of solar panels absorbs the slanting rays of the sun, gleaming softly against dark pine cladding. There is a sense of quiet power to this little black box of a home\u2014sited on a 3-acre forested parcel and set along a gentle slope\u2014and that\u2019s entirely by intention.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/design-milk.com\/marc-thorpes-forest-edge-house-blends-beauty-and-self-sufficiency\/forest-edge-house-marc-thorpe-design-and-architecture-edifice-upstate-01\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-602383\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-602383\" src=\"https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-01-810x1215.jpg\" alt=\"Modern kitchen with light wood cabinets, black faucet, a plant in a black vase, and kitchen items on the countertop near a gas stove. Bright natural light enters the space.\" width=\"810\" height=\"1215\" srcset=\"https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-01-810x1215.jpg 810w, https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-01-800x1200.jpg 800w, https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-01-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-01-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-01.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 810px) 100vw, 810px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Forest Edge House is the fifth in a series of solar-powered homes designed by <a href=\"https:\/\/design-milk.com\/tag\/marc-thorpe\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Marc Thorpe<\/strong><\/a> and built through <a href=\"https:\/\/design-milk.com\/tag\/edifice-upstate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Edifice Upstate<\/strong><\/a>, the design-and-build agency he cofounded with partner Claire Pijoulat. Each project in the series has been an exercise in restraint and self-reliance, offering what the team describes as a turnkey model for contemporary living that integrates sustainable technology at its core.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/design-milk.com\/marc-thorpes-forest-edge-house-blends-beauty-and-self-sufficiency\/forest-edge-house-marc-thorpe-design-and-architecture-edifice-upstate-02\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-602384\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-602384\" src=\"https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-02-810x1215.jpg\" alt=\"A minimal, modern hallway with light wood flooring, white walls, a round ceiling light, doors on the left, and stairs with a wooden handrail on the right.\" width=\"810\" height=\"1215\" srcset=\"https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-02-810x1215.jpg 810w, https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-02-800x1200.jpg 800w, https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-02-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-02-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-02.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 810px) 100vw, 810px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>More than a formal language, it is a worldview\u2014one that positions architecture as a means of reclaiming autonomy in an increasingly outsourced existence. As Thorpe puts it, \u201cthe system is eroding our individuality by outsourcing every aspect of our lives that enables our sense of purpose and ability to construct meaning.\u201d The first step in taking that back, he argues, is energy independence.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/design-milk.com\/marc-thorpes-forest-edge-house-blends-beauty-and-self-sufficiency\/forest-edge-house-marc-thorpe-design-and-architecture-edifice-upstate-03\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-602385\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-602385\" src=\"https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-03-810x1215.jpg\" alt=\"A modern desk with a black chair, red lamp, plant, and framed art on a white wall near a window overlooking trees.\" width=\"810\" height=\"1215\" srcset=\"https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-03-810x1215.jpg 810w, https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-03-800x1200.jpg 800w, https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-03-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-03-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-03.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 810px) 100vw, 810px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The panels on the facade\u201424 monocrystalline units\u2014along with an additional rooftop array, generate approximately 38 kWh of electricity per day. This infrastructure expressed, part of what Thorpe describes as \u201cdescriptive function,\u201d where the building communicates its purpose through its form.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/design-milk.com\/marc-thorpes-forest-edge-house-blends-beauty-and-self-sufficiency\/forest-edge-house-marc-thorpe-design-and-architecture-edifice-upstate-04\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-602386\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-602386\" src=\"https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-04-810x540.jpg\" alt=\"Minimalist bathroom with a walk-in shower, black fixtures, a round mirror, wall-mounted sink, beige towels, and toiletries on the counter.\" width=\"810\" height=\"540\" srcset=\"https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-04-810x540.jpg 810w, https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-04-800x533.jpg 800w, https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-04-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-04.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 810px) 100vw, 810px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/design-milk.com\/marc-thorpes-forest-edge-house-blends-beauty-and-self-sufficiency\/forest-edge-house-marc-thorpe-design-and-architecture-edifice-upstate-05\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-602387\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-602387\" src=\"https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-05-810x540.jpg\" alt=\"Minimalist bedroom with a beige chair, bed, lamp, and large window overlooking trees and a balcony.\" width=\"810\" height=\"540\" srcset=\"https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-05-810x540.jpg 810w, https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-05-800x533.jpg 800w, https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-05-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-05.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 810px) 100vw, 810px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The house is oriented and shaped by the sun, its architecture a direct byproduct of environmental forces and use. \u201cNothing that exists on or within the building is decorative,\u201d he notes. \u201cWindows are positioned to frame views as well as provide cross ventilation, interior program and physical circulation are expressed on the facade, overhangs provide shade where required.\u201d In this way, the home draws from the region&#8217;s agrarian vernacular, where form follows necessity, without slipping into campiness.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/design-milk.com\/marc-thorpes-forest-edge-house-blends-beauty-and-self-sufficiency\/forest-edge-house-marc-thorpe-design-and-architecture-edifice-upstate-06\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-602388\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-602388\" src=\"https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-06-810x540.jpg\" alt=\"Two wooden chairs face a small stone fire pit with a burning fire, surrounded by trees with autumn foliage and a wooden deck nearby.\" width=\"810\" height=\"540\" srcset=\"https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-06-810x540.jpg 810w, https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-06-800x533.jpg 800w, https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-06-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-06.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 810px) 100vw, 810px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/design-milk.com\/marc-thorpes-forest-edge-house-blends-beauty-and-self-sufficiency\/forest-edge-house-marc-thorpe-design-and-architecture-edifice-upstate-07\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-602389\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-602389\" src=\"https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-07-810x540.jpg\" alt=\"Modern black wooden house with large illuminated windows, surrounded by trees and fallen leaves, with a gravel driveway in the background.\" width=\"810\" height=\"540\" srcset=\"https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-07-810x540.jpg 810w, https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-07-800x533.jpg 800w, https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-07-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-07.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 810px) 100vw, 810px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>A 25-foot cantilevered deck in black steel extends into the canopy of the trees outside, a singular expression of outreach in an otherwise introspective building, dissolving into the landscape rather than imposing upon it.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/design-milk.com\/marc-thorpes-forest-edge-house-blends-beauty-and-self-sufficiency\/forest-edge-house-marc-thorpe-design-and-architecture-edifice-upstate-08\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-602390\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-602390\" src=\"https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-08-810x1215.jpg\" alt=\"A modern black wooden exterior features a closed door under an exterior light, with a gravel ground and a single window above.\" width=\"810\" height=\"1215\" srcset=\"https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-08-810x1215.jpg 810w, https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-08-800x1200.jpg 800w, https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-08-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-08-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-08.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 810px) 100vw, 810px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Inside, the home is light-filled, airy, and deliberately composed, featuring fixtures from French brand <a href=\"https:\/\/design-milk.com\/tag\/ligne-roset\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Ligne Roset<\/strong><\/a>\u2014 a longtime collaborator of Thorpe and Pijoulat, aligned with the project\u2019s environmental and design ethos. An open-plan living, kitchen, and dining area occupies the ground floor, supported by full-floor radiant heating, while private bedrooms are arranged above, establishing a clear programmatic split between collective and individual space. The starkness of white surfaces and black fixtures is alleviated by touches of natural materials\u2014tan leather Togo chairs in the living room and wooden floors on the upper level\u2014and, of course, framed views of the trees outside.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/design-milk.com\/marc-thorpes-forest-edge-house-blends-beauty-and-self-sufficiency\/forest-edge-house-marc-thorpe-design-and-architecture-edifice-upstate-10\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-602392\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-602392\" src=\"https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-10-810x540.jpg\" alt=\"A modern, box-shaped house with dark wooden siding stands in a wooded area; two narrow windows and one exterior light are visible.\" width=\"810\" height=\"540\" srcset=\"https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-10-810x540.jpg 810w, https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-10-800x533.jpg 800w, https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-10-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-10.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 810px) 100vw, 810px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/design-milk.com\/marc-thorpes-forest-edge-house-blends-beauty-and-self-sufficiency\/forest-edge-house-marc-thorpe-design-and-architecture-edifice-upstate-11\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-602393\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-602393\" src=\"https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-11-810x540.jpg\" alt=\"Modern two-story black cabin with large solar panels on the upper facade, surrounded by trees and featuring a small deck on the right side.\" width=\"810\" height=\"540\" srcset=\"https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-11-810x540.jpg 810w, https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-11-800x533.jpg 800w, https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-11-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-11.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 810px) 100vw, 810px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe house is an exercise in Enough,\u201d Thorpe explains. Thorpe explains. With three bedrooms, two full bathrooms, and luxurious finishes, it doesn\u2019t stint on creature comforts despite being compact. That ethos extends beyond plan and program into daily ritual. The solar energy system\u2014the panels, a 15K Sol-Ark inverter, and Lithium Ion LifePo battery bank\u2014is a daily reminder of the resources it takes to sustain us and a prompt to live within the boundaries of what nature provides. This heightened awareness, Thorpe suggests, reconnects individuals to broader ecological systems: \u201cHow much energy am I producing? How much am I consuming? What is my place in this system?\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/design-milk.com\/marc-thorpes-forest-edge-house-blends-beauty-and-self-sufficiency\/forest-edge-house-marc-thorpe-design-and-architecture-edifice-upstate-12\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-602394\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-602394\" src=\"https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-12-810x540.jpg\" alt=\"A modern, dark wood two-story house with large rectangular windows, set in a forested area with trees and fallen leaves around.\" width=\"810\" height=\"540\" srcset=\"https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-12-810x540.jpg 810w, https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-12-800x533.jpg 800w, https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-12-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-12.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 810px) 100vw, 810px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/design-milk.com\/marc-thorpes-forest-edge-house-blends-beauty-and-self-sufficiency\/forest-edge-house-marc-thorpe-design-and-architecture-edifice-upstate-09\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-602391\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-602391\" src=\"https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-09-810x540.jpg\" alt=\"A modern, dark-wooden rectangular cabin with large decks sits in a forested area; one window is lit, and autumn trees surround the structure.\" width=\"810\" height=\"540\" srcset=\"https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-09-810x540.jpg 810w, https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-09-800x533.jpg 800w, https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-09-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-09.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 810px) 100vw, 810px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>In this sense, Forest Edge House is a framework for living systemically with its environment through both passive strategies and active technologies. It reflects a belief that architecture, when aligned with natural forces, can transcend the physical to become something more enduring.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/design-milk.com\/marc-thorpes-forest-edge-house-blends-beauty-and-self-sufficiency\/forest-edge-house-marc-thorpe-design-and-architecture-edifice-upstate-13\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-602395\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-602395\" src=\"https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-13-810x540.jpg\" alt=\"Aerial view of a gray metal roof with eight rectangular solar panels arranged in two rows, surrounded by dry ground and a small fire pit on the right.\" width=\"810\" height=\"540\" srcset=\"https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-13-810x540.jpg 810w, https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-13-800x533.jpg 800w, https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-13-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/design-milk.com\/images\/2026\/04\/Forest-Edge-House-Marc-Thorpe-Design-and-Architecture-Edifice-Upstate-13.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 810px) 100vw, 810px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis planet offers us a choice, to be one with nature or not,\u201d Thorpe says. \u201cDesigning with sustainable systems is the first step. Humility is what comes after.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>To learn more about the design-build agency, visit <a href=\"https:\/\/edificeupstate.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">edificeupstate.com<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Photography by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.claybanks.info\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Clay Banks<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Built by Edifice Upstate, the minimal wood-clad home in the Catskill mountains is powered by the sun and connected to nature.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":80,"featured_media":602382,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,1],"tags":[5256,45260,14437,9029,2784,44705,9052,17305,48008],"internal_flag":[],"class_list":["post-602381","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-architecture","category-main","tag-architecture-2","tag-edifice-upstate","tag-home","tag-house","tag-marc-thorpe","tag-residential-architecture","tag-sustainability","tag-sustainable-architecture","tag-vernacular-architecture"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Marc Thorpe\u2019s Forest Edge House Blends Beauty + Self Sufficiency<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Built by Edifice Upstate, the minimal wood-clad home in the Catskill 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