Ship Shape

There was an old house on this site, but it required completely new construction to work for a young family of five. The new house is built like a boat, and every nook is used for storage. Most rooms have windows & light on at least two, and usually three, sides.

The design called for a high-pitched roof, so dividing it into three bays kept the building height lower. The symmetry of the front of the house implies an axial approach, but this would require a daunting set of stairs. Therefore you cross and recross the axis as you proceed from the driveway, and the stairs are in short sections parallel to the main face of the house. Breakaway stuccoed panels & lattice areas tie the building to the landscape & hide 12” square steel tube framing required on the ground level to resist storm surges. The home is Energy Star rated, great for a site exposed to strong weather year-round.
Photos by Robert Brewster

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