The design of Cardinal Cove, a new private residence on the shores of Buzzard's Bay, Massachusetts, is a testament to the harmony between structure and landscape. The project, encompassing a Main House, Guest House, and Garage, is a resonant exploration of space, place, and environmental symbiosis. The home is articulated through a collective vision and is realized through a coagent commitment to craft.
The Main House is an assemblage of three interconnected forms that, together, craft a narrative of openness and retreat. The Great Room, flanked by a Screen Porch and Guest Room on one side and a 4-suite Bedroom Wing on the other, serves as the communal core, its open space a canvas for the interplay of light, shadow, and form. This central living area is anchored by fully glazed entrance foyers, acting as view portals to Buzzards Bay, binding the architectural forms with the rhythmic ebb and flow of the coastal landscape.
The Guest House introduces a vertical dimension to the narrative, its bedrooms offering lofty vantages over the Great Room, integrating the upper and lower stories into a cohesive spatial experience. This verticality contrasts with the horizontal spread of the Main House, creating a dynamic architectural dialogue between the two structures.
The architectural composition of Cardinal Cove is a response to the site's unique characteristics: a narrow entrance widening toward the coast, framed by well-established landscaping. The strategic placement of the buildings, dictated by setbacks and the desire to preserve views, transforms constraints into opportunities for innovation. The buildings are set as pavilions against this backdrop, their positioning and orientation designed to foster a sense of movement across the site, encapsulating the kinetic energy of the landscape itself.
The approach to the site is a journey of discovery, the winding path revealing the structures in stages, with the stone Garage emerging first, a sentinel among the trees. This pathway leads to the courtyard, a protected enclave wrapped by architectural forms.
The interiors of the space are informed by Scandinavian tastes; simple, elegant forms complemented by vibrant color splashes.
Interior Designer: Holly Hulburd Design
General Contractor: Howland Company
Civil Engineer: Prime Engineering
Landscape Architect: Stephen Stimson Associates
Structural Engineer: Coastal Engineering Company
MEP/FP Engineers: Allied Engineering
Cabinetry: Kochman Reidt + Haigh