Building on a Shared Vision
Demand for energy-efficient, future-ready homes continues to grow. In the western Catskills, Manor Falls Associates and Bensonwood are showing what it looks like to live in harmony with nature without giving up comfort or design.
The Catskill Project is a new residential community of 11 high-performance homes on more than 90 acres in Livingston Manor, New York. The spacious two- and three-bedroom residences are designed for environmentally conscious buyers; every home is carbon-neutral and all-electric.
The homes combine contemporary architecture, Passive House design, and precision offsite construction with locally sourced natural materials. Six homes are complete and five more are underway, bringing the first phase of the community close to completion.
Each residence sits on its own 3- to 6-acre lot, chosen by the buyer. More than 40 acres of woodland will stay untouched as a nature preserve, with trails leading to waterfalls, streams, ponds, and a viewing deck. Beyond the property are thousands of acres of Forever Wild forest and the villages of Livingston Manor, Callicoon, Narrowsburg, and Roscoe.
The project is led by longtime sustainability advocates Greg Hale and Peter Malik of Manor Falls Associates. They are working in partnership with Bensonwood and with architect Buck Moorhead, a pioneer of the Passive House movement. Together they are building a community that brings traditional craftsmanship, modern technology, and regenerative principles together.
“The project is both humble and ambitious. It is about simple living and respecting the surrounding nature, but doing so via best-in-kind construction and truly impressive energy performance,” says Peter Malik, co-founder of The Catskill Project and principal at Manor Falls Associates.
Built for 75–90% less energy
Moorhead and his team designed every home to use 75–90% less energy than a conventional home. Each residence has:
- A highly insulated, airtight building envelope
- High-performance triple-pane windows
- All-electric systems that cut energy demand while supporting year-round comfort, indoor air quality, and durability
Performance at that level depends on precision, and precision is what offsite construction delivers. Bensonwood’s building systems give the project a repeatable approach to high-performance construction.
Wall, floor, and roof panels are engineered digitally and fabricated in our climate-controlled facility. Insulation, windows, and air sealing are installed under controlled conditions, so materials never sit exposed to Catskills weather. The panels are then assembled efficiently on site.
This high-performance envelope is hard to match with conventional site-built framing. It also sets a construction standard that can be repeated home after home across the community.
Introducing Red Hill
Red Hill is the latest step in The Catskill Project’s approach to interior design and all-electric living. Its traditional gable-roof design introduces a new architectural style to the community, complementing the surrounding Catskills landscape while maintaining the same commitment to high-performance construction.
“Red Hill demonstrates what is possible when high-performance design is paired with a construction system built around precision, quality, and repeatability.” said Jim Bannon, Project Manager at Bensonwood. “The goal is to create a process capable of consistently delivering that level of performance and craftsmanship.”
These two-story, 1,783-square-foot homes feature three bedrooms and two-and-a-half bathrooms. An open-concept main floor brings the kitchen, dining, and living areas together, alongside a private first-floor primary suite. Upstairs, two additional bedrooms and a flexible lounge feature a vaulted ceiling, with an optional deck offering elevated views of the surrounding landscape.
Red Hill shows how sustainability, comfort, and elevated residential design can come together in one home. Its kitchen features a JennAir induction range and integrated appliances, Fireclay Tile, and lighting by Stickbulb, along with products and contributions from other project partners and collaborators.
Additional Reading: Learn more about the origin of the Catskill project and the Balsam Home Design
