Price: $3,575,000 Location: Princeton, NJ Type of Home: Contemporary

Inspired by the Buddhist idea of 'three worlds,' this contemporary home in Princeton is filled with contemplative spaces.—Stefanos Chen

Daniel Cloud, 50 years old, purchased this home in Princeton, N.J., for $3.7 million in 2007, according to public records. An existing home on the property from the late 1970s was renovated and expanded in 2005 by Brooklyn-based design firm Garrison Architects. The addition, said Jim Garrison, the principal designer, was inspired by the Buddhist notion of 'three worlds,' which distinguishes between the layers of the material world and the divine.

The home features cedar paneling at the top, glass walls on the main floor and a concrete base. The addition added about 4,000 square feet to the home for a total of roughly 7,000 square feet. The home sits on about 9½ acres of wooded grounds with a stream. The idea of three worlds, which is also expressed in Hinduism and other religions, is the inspiration for the three different layers of this home, Mr. Garrison said—the base, the worldly, and the formless.

'It's a really beautiful, comfortable place to live,' said Mr. Cloud. His sister, Catherine Cloud, did the interior design for the home. 'He pretty much knew this was the house for him,' Ms. Cloud said. 'He's a minimalist at heart,' and the home's clean layout was appealing to him, she said.

The entry way features built-in, double-sided shelving, which Ms. Cloud decorated. 'I'm a huge fan of aboriginal artwork,' she said, and brought in several pieces to furnish the home. A collection of East Asian and midcentury modern sculptures are displayed. 'It was a brother-sister collaboration,' said Ms. Cloud, who does freelance design work.

The two-story great room, shown here, features a natural ventilation system in which the sun's energy keeps air circulating through the space, said Mr. Garrison. Skylights on the second-floor of the room can be opened, allowing hot air to rise. The translucent screens on the second floor filter sunlight as it enters the room, creating different lighting effects throughout the day, he said.

The translucent screens act as 'a kind of natural light fixture' as the color and character of the light changes throughout the day, Mr. Garrison said.

Mr. Cloud was a founding partner at Firebird Fund Management, a hedge fund that manages investments in Eastern Europe and elsewhere. He is currently a lecturer in the philosophy department at nearby Princeton University, where he specializes in the philosophy of biology. The dining area, shown, is flanked by thin-framed windows.

Mr. Cloud says he is selling because 'it's too much house for one person.' A sitting area on the main level is shown. Maple wood flooring is used throughout the home.

The home has four bedrooms, four bathrooms, and one half bathroom. If not for his sister's help in designing the space, 'I would have ended up buying one mattress and putting it up in the upstairs bedroom,' he joked. He credits his sister with the home's sleek design.

One of the bathrooms, with a large window overlooking the grounds, is shown.

Another bedroom in the home, with a lofted area, could be converted into a children's bedroom, says Ms. Cloud.

One benefit of the wooded grounds surrounding the home is the wildlife, Ms. Cloud said. Wild turkeys sometimes 'try to get into the house,' she said, laughing. 'They like the glass walls and they try to get in that way.' George Nakashima-inspired furnishings in a dining area are shown.

The home also includes a media room and other recent upgrades, like surround sound throughout the home and remote-control compatibility with tablet devices.

The home was listed in April for just under $3.6 million with Jud Henderson of Callaway Henderson Sotheby's International Realty.