Perched on the edge of a saltwater pond, this home looks south to the Atlantic.Conditions of the site, and a desire for a compact, resilient home, formed the basis of design.As lifelong creatives, the owners desired a house that strikes a balance between celebrating art within and maintaining a connection to the setting throughout.Their programmatic needs were modest, comprising a single bedroom, den and studio along with kitchen and living space.A desire for operational independence(from the grid and any use of fossil fuels),and maximizing comfort and health, further informed the direction of the architecture and expectations for building performance.The request to exceed Passive House requirements was accomplished, placing extraordinary emphasis on indoor air quality, resilience, and indoor environment.With a robust solar electric system inclusive of battery storage, this home can operate independent of the electric utility grid and generates surplus power which the homeowners can allocate to their adult children across town.The core of the home is a gabled dining hall framed in exposed steel and wood. Radiating from the center, the remaining program is expressed as modern boxes arranged around a “cathedral.”Details set grounding, authentic materials against playful elements that speak to the hands of individual artists.Interior walls are clad in locally sourced, reclaimed boards.Custom cabinetry, shelving, and upholstery play with traditional motifs in juxtapositions and showcase artifacts from a lifetime of traveling and creating. Along with intentional lighting, shading strategies animate the home’s sculptural volumes and details in an ever-changing atmosphere.The main house is elevated five feet above the floodplain, allowing native vegetation to migrate up to and under the house.Visually and experientially, this creates a sense of floating.Functionally, the elevation makes the home and property more resilient to storm surges and future sea level rise.The irregular shape of the building allows the structure to be nestled forward on the site, fitting within the wetland setback and maximizing privacy from abutting properties.In keeping with the architectural detail of the main house, a garage, weaving studio, and storage shed are arranged as boxes along the arrival sequence.
Category:Sustainable HousesYear:2019Location:Edgartown, Massachusetts, USA Architects:Hutker ArchitectsLandscape Architects: Lil ProvenceDesign Team: Greg Ehrman, Sean Dougherty, and Stacey Sarber Contractor:Adam T. IncorporatedClient: PrivatePhotographer: Michael J. Lee and Marc Fairstein
