An Architect Builds a Two-Family Home to Foster Young Farmers in the Hudson Valley

When architect Eugene Kwak first suggested to his wife, Claire Ko, that they buy land, build a house, and start a farm, she was not immediately sold. "I raised my eyebrow and said, ‘I’ve never even lived in a suburb. I’ve been a true city girl,’" says Claire, who grew up in Seoul, South Korea, and works as a chief people officer at a cheese company in New York City. 

She adds, "I told him that I think our connection to the farm really begins and ends at the farmer’s market, and he said he disagreed. He believed very strongly that we can take that further." 

The couple, who’d long lived in Greenwich Village, frequented the Union Square Greenmarket and procured fruits and veggies from a CSA. "We just fell in love with seasonal produce," says Claire. After that first conversation, Eugene, who then worked for a firm specializing in environmentally responsible design and is also an assistant professor at Farmingdale State College on Long Island, started volunteering once a week with the Stone Barns Center and Glynwood, two nonprofits supporting farming, agriculture, and education.

Eugene spent two years getting his hands dirty, learning about regenerative food systems and the New York farming community. "I was out in the field, helping out with weeding and moving rocks, to harvesting and planting," he says. "In the afternoon, I would wash my hands, have lunch, and attend these really informative workshops where they teach anything from composting, to land access, to how to farm as a beginner." 

Refining and building upon Eugene’s initial idea, the couple finally alighted on the concept of "Togather": a two-family house on a 16-acre lot in the Hudson Valley, just a 70-minute drive from their digs in the city. One side of the house would host young farmers seeking land, and the other would be where Eugene and Claire resided, connecting with nature and providing support where needed.