If you fancy mid-century modern houses around suburban Philadelphia, chances are you have seen Robert McElroy’s work. McElroy came of age as an architect in the early 1950s and enjoyed a long career designing contemporary dwellings into the 1980s. McElroy was never happier than when he could take advantage of a wooded, hillside lot and meld the natural surroundings into his airy floor plans.

A McElroy house often featured a dynamic roofline and floor-to-ceiling walls of glass that invited the natural light to play on the house’s interiors. At the same time the vaulted ceilings and exposed beams were sited to provide maximum privacy for the homeowners.