Completed in 2010 for a well-regarded mosaic artist client, this provocative 2,500 sq. ft. private residence in rural Virginia re-defines outdoor living. In designing the project, GRADE responded to two disparate conditions of the site: the expansive views of Chesapeake Bay and the mystic wooded area on which it resided. The objective was to reconcile the client’s need for a studio in which to design and create while not rendering the space hermetic and closed off to its surroundings.GRADE brought nature’s elements indoors, establishing a foundation of earthy textures including natural mahogany wood and a curved zinc rooftop, complemented by imported materials such as Italian marble. Through thoughtful design, the house became an apparatus for filtering the views of the water, with the curved roof allowing the scale of the beach side room to expand the closer one’s proximity to the bay.