Private Residence, Maine Coast

This year-round home on the Maine coast fits comfortably into the landscape of farmhouses and summer cottages. From off-shore, the series of gable roofs with white cedar shingles complement the familiar countryside.

But from a closer vantage point, the house begins to reveal its contemporary nature: the gable forms are separated by three-foot wide glass skylights that expose twin stairways to ocean and sky views. Each end of the living area is flooded with daylight from the stairways. Laminated wood beams span clear openings to reveal porches, gardens, and the broad expanse of Penobscot Bay. Contrasting with the solidity of the laminated beams and the shingled walls are glass corners that merge indoor and outdoor spaces and bring generous sun into the south facing rooms.

The roof gables are set parallel to the shoreline. Another tier of gable forms accommodates garage, boat storage, and a craft studio. Between the two tiers of the buildings is an entry courtyard. At each end of the courtyard are small formal gardens. Immediately beyond the gardens and the drip-edge of the house is the natural landscape: featuring an abundance of ferns, spruce, birch...and a gentle granite slope to the water's edge.