Located on a beautiful point on the coast, this year-round residence boasts an almost 360° view of the surrounding coastline. Originally planned as a second floor addition and renovation to an existing cape style house, this new construction home on piers celebrates the natural Maine coast. A focus on traditional, natural finishes drove the material selection for both the interior and exterior of the house, while a sleek modern design approach was taken for the overall form and layout of the program. With a compact allowable footprint, each programmatic element was carefully designed to maximize useable space while framing sweeping views to the ocean.

The clients were living in the former house and had a deep understanding of what worked well and what they wanted to improve with the new build at this location. The new house was designed to improve conformance with local regulations and look ahead to prepare for future climate change. Creating a well-insulated home on a site of this exposure was imperative. At the same time, creating more visual access to the road to see approaching guests from the first floor, having a more open concept living space for lounging and entertaining, and creating a much more functional arrangement of bedrooms and bathrooms, the new design was tailored specifically to meet the clients’ vision. The fireplace and stone clad chimney surround were a primary design element that help anchor the house onto the site, while the concrete piers below were clad and screened in a natural mahogany to provide additional grounding. An existing shed on the property was rebuilt to compliment the new house, providing a small storage and gym space that also enjoy a beautiful view out to the ocean.

A real highlight of the early construction process, the pre-existing home was relocated in one piece to be lived in at a new location by a new owner, with the whole neighborhood gathering to view the old house and shed being moved by a barge. As rewarding as this was, it added another level of complexity to the project construction. Through several iterations of design, a major energy code update just ahead of construction, and multiple unexpected additional hurdles, there were many points in time where the project could have been indefinitely shelved. However, throughout the entire process the clients remained steadfast in their vision and support of our design.Ultimately with everyone’s hard work and team approach of client + builder +architect we were able to build a gorgeous modern home that truly celebrates the site.