Context was one of the most influential generators for this project: a down-east Maine village, complete with vibrant, scrappy and true-to-itself working harbor. While many new houses here are built on large parcels of pristine isolated land, these clients had made the more sustainable commitment to build on an empty lot in the village. The diagram of the house takes advantage of solar gain and views—fortuitously aligned—in each of the major spaces. Fairly standard construction techniques were employed to take advantage of the strengths of a local builder. A nearby commercial aluminum dock manufacturer fabricated the “folly” deck and frames for rolling vertical sunshades and fixed horizontal sunshades. Valuing space and light over expensive finishes and fittings, a remarkably low cost-per-square foot was achieved. The result is a new addition to the village-scape, balancing a tension between familiar and provocative.
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