Recognized on Forbes' list of America's Best-in-State Residential Architects, ARO is a firm known for its collaborative, research-driven approach that unites beauty and form with strategy and intelligence. Kim Yao, FAIA, and Stephen Cassell, FAIA—principals at Architecture Research Office—designed this home for a couple who are avid collectors, partnering with the clients to create a house that not only holds and displays their collection but also celebrates their love for entertaining, cooking, and the land they have lived on for many years.
The house functions as a modern gallery, with the main gallery acting as the organizing principle. Inside, 16-foot ceilings and a large clerestory bring natural light onto the collections. ARO’s research-driven process included building large-scale models to study how the clients’ vast collection of antique weathervanes would be displayed. The home's design also celebrates its physical context through material choices, such as a locally acquired quartzite stone that is a hallmark of historic Pennsylvania farmhouses in the area. The architects even worked with Amish craftspeople on the stonework, further connecting the new home to its place.
Read more about America’s Best-in-State Residential Architects on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/richardolsen/2025/08/27/americas-best-in-state-residential-architects-2025-methodology/
0:00 Intro: Architecture Research Office Philosophy
1:17 The Bucks County House & Its Owners
2:18 The House as a Gallery
3:25 Design Principles: Natural Light & Local Materials
4:45 A Home Unlike Any Other
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