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D e ce m b e r 2 012
COVER
The
Architecture
Issue
25 Stories of Style, Site & Sustainabilty
Window insights from Pella
Notes from AIA veteran Judith Harvie
75 Market Street
Suite 203
207-772-3373
www.mainehomedesign.com
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21
PROJECTS
The best
laid Plans
THE INSPIRED—AND OFTEN UNEXPECTED—
RESULTS WHEN ARCHITECTS CREATE
EDITED BY SUSAN GRISANTI
On the following pages you will find 21 examples of what happens
when architects consider their client’s style, how they live or work,
the site, and the environment. You will witness the essence of the
owner’s vision for each space and the interpretation of it through
the imaginations of Maine’s leading architects. Each year we find
ourselves awed by the design being created in our state—the use
of unexpected materials, structures situated on sites that make
one realize there is no better spot, and interior flows that are
as planned as they are organic. The 21 projects highlighted in
this issue were chosen not only because of the beauty of their
designs, the meticulous craftsmanship with which they were
built, and their impressive energy efficiencies, but also because
each one demonstrates how, when the relationship between
owner and architect is a solid one, incredible things happen.
MH+D DECEMBER 2012 71
Bernhard & Priestley Architecture
No. 32 Residence, Rockport
A crisp, contemporary home
that sits comfortably among its
neighbors.
Construction: Collins Builders
Engineering: Albert Putnam, PE
A
former blacksmith’s workshop provided a
grandfathered footprint on a tiny, challenging lot
overlooking Rockport Harbor. An art collector,
the client was strongly attracted to minimalist
aesthetics and wanted to create an exquisitely refined
residence. The dense village setting rich with historic homes
encouraged a contextual response on the exterior, so the
architect came up with a guiding design concept that he called
“distilled vernacular.”
To capitalize on the harbor views, the living room was
placed on the second floor and given a private deck. The
master bedroom sits opposite, looking across to the living
room fireplace. Downstairs, the crisp, minimal design of the
kitchen allows a dining table and artwork to dominate the
space.
Traditional elements are rendered in an austere palette
of white-on-white exterior finishes, charcoal gray roofing,
stainless-steel accents, and cable railings, simultaneously
embracing the residence’s historical context and its
contemporary reincarnation.
72 DECEMBER 2012 MH+D
The entire interior is clothed in vertical flat boards that
are detailed with consistent, intentional gaps. Door hardware
is either blind or omitted. The theme of boards-with-gaps
extends to include the cabinetry. A recessed slot paralleling
the ascent of the stairs creates a reticent handrail. A frameless
sheet of tempered glass guards the second-floor stairwell. Ash
boards washed with translucent white were used as flooring
throughout the home. An absence of baseboards, casings, and
trim provides a calm backdrop for the owner’s collection of
antiques and artwork.
Solar collectors fitted to a pitched roof contribute to
responsible energy use. And high R-value sprayed-foam
insulation, argon-filled low-e glazing, high-efficiency heating
apparatus, and low-wattage lighting minimize energy
consumption. Locally sourced woods lower the carbon
footprint, and the windows gather passive solar heat. Overall,
the compact, disciplined plan addresses sustainability goals.
Carol A. Wilson Architect
House on Mere Point, Brunswick
A small house and artist’s studio
takes advantage of a magnificent
site on Mere Point.
O
riginally designed as a guesthouse and
artist’s studio, this home was built on
the foundation of an existing garage.
The project brief included a future
house closer to the water, but for the moment the
guesthouse and studio function as the primary
residence.
The ground level of the building remains a
garage, while the living spaces occupy three floors
above. On the first level, a kitchen and dining space
is positioned under a second-floor loft, alongside
a two-story living space that makes the compact
house feel much larger. In the sleeping loft, a westfacing bay window frames views to the water. On the
third level, half of the floor plan is studio space while
the other half is a rooftop deck. The only addition to
the existing footprint is a stairwell that was glazed
on the south face to provide passive heat and, more
important, to bring natural light to each floor.
Located at 44 degrees north latitude, southfacing windows take advantage of passive solar
gain in the winter and are appropriately screened
for the summer months. The photovoltaic panels on
the roof provide more than enough electricity for
the energy-conscious house, and excess production
is sent to the grid. The solar hot-water system
provides an adequate supply of domestic hot water
and backs up an in-floor radiant-heating system. An
air recovery system provides ventilation.
The reuse of the existing foundation was
primarily a conservation decision. Building materials
were sourced locally, and no toxic substances were
used. The landscape design sought to mitigate the
previous owner’s impact on the property, and now
it contains very little impervious surface apart from
the house. The landscape and siting leave views to
the water open for all.
Construction: Boomerang Builders
Engineering: Lincoln/Haney Engineering
Associates
Lighting Design: Kaplan Gehring McCarroll
Architectural Lighting
Solar Energy: Energyworks South
Landscape Design: Richardson & Associates,
Landscape Architects
Photography: Trent Bell Photography
MH+D DECEMBER 2012 73
Knickerbocker Group
Oliver’s at Cozy Harbor, Southport
An 1800s barn converted into a colorful seaside
restaurant displays a blend of salvaged and
modern finishes.
74 DECEMBER 2012 MH+D
E.
W. Pratt General Store and
Merchandise was started by
Gus Pratt and his wife Emolyn
in 1948. Many years later,
the store had closed and the building
had fallen into disrepair—that is, until a
generous benefactor and Cozy Harbor
resident decided to bring it back to life.
The original barn u n d e r we n t a
major renovation. Several old additions,
including one that had housed a bowling
alley, were demolished to make room for
a new commercial pier.
Today, Oliver’s restaurant maintains a
classic historic charm—a red-roofed barn,
white clapboards, and traditional sixover-one windows. The interior styling is
a nod to the harborside setting, including
a fresh, colorful palette: blue walls, teak
furniture, a red-and-blue rope mesh on
the stairs.
Working with such a small space was
a challenge overcome by keeping the
floor plan open with uninterrupted sight
lines. The kitchen theater can be enjoyed
from the long sweeping bar, which was
created from the old bowling-alley floor.
Accordion-style doors let the walls
disappear, exposing a panoramic view
of the harbor. Tables flow from inside the
restaurant to the outside pier. Upstairs, a
loft with a railing dotted with old bowling
balls leads to an open-air deck carved
out under the gable—a high perch from
which customers can watch the sailing
school in Cozy Harbor.
For the benefactor-turned-proprietor,
Oliver’s is everything he dreamed of: a
meeting place where the community
can gather to share food, drinks, and
conversation—just as they did at the
general store 64 years ago.
Construction: Knickerbocker Group
Structural Engineering: Lincoln/Haney
Engineering Associates
Lighting Design: Greg Day Lighting
Pier Construction: Rideout Marine
Photography: Darren Setlow
Photography
Whipple-Callender
Architects
Personal Residence, Phippsburg
A house for everywhere makes its
own unique place.
Construction: Kennebec Builders
Landscape Design: Campo di Fiori
Photography: John Whipple
T
his house answered the challenge
of a design for both young
families and empty nesters. The
project grew out of a series of
designs executed for a developer. The
plans were compact, efficient, oriented
for solar exposure, adaptable to a variety
of sites, and accompanied by a menu of
options. All had a master bedroom on the
first floor and a single spacious living area.
The client for this house was an
empty nester. Like many sites in Maine,
it’s near the water but in the woods, and
the surrounding summer community
has a long tradition of understated,
unpretentious living.
Not unexpectedly, the prototype
design evolved. Add-ons include a fourth
bedroom for grown-up children who
come to visit and a screened porch high
in the trees. True to the original concept,
the house is nestled into the site and
has maximum solar exposure. After a
major windstorm blew down surrounding
trees, a garden of indigenous grasses
and shrubs—all carefully planned to look
almost, but not quite, natural—was added.
Materials are modest: Sheetrock walls,
pickled-pine trim, and fir ceilings, posts,
beams, and cabinets in the large room.
The architect designed most of the light
fixtures and a standing lamp, but a family
member designed the large driftwood
sculpture above the fireplace. Patterns of
the setting sun and the owners’ boat are
cut into the shingles at the gable ends.
Compact and efficient, the house
provides single-story living and was
relatively economical to build—but it’s not
a development home. The desire and the
need to customize are always present. The
design is a unique response to a particular
site and to the family who lives on it.
MH+D DECEMBER 2012 75
Winkelman Architecture
Willard Beach House, South Portland
A bright, energy-efficient beach house built on a
tight budget can be enjoyed year-round.
LEED Architect: Frankie Elmquist Architecture & Interior Design
Construction: Phil Murray
Millwork & Cabinetry: Leddy Houser Associates
Landscape Design: Gnome Landscapes, Design, Masonry &
Maintenance
Photography: Brian Vanden Brink Architectural Photographer
76 DECEMBER 2012 MH+D
T
his modest, cobbled-together 1800s cottage
on Willard Beach was gutted, fit out with
comprehensive systems, and built to meet
LEED-certification standards. Zoning limited
substantive alterations to the envelope except for the
addition of a garage in the rear.
Collaborating architect Frankie Elmquist led
LEED for Homes certification coordination as well
as initial planning and design. Winkelman led shell
development and a comprehensive interior package.
The highly creative and artistic clients set the tone for
a refined, inventive approach to evolving the spaces.
Finessing the interrelationship of the open plan’s
restricted living/dining/kitchen configuration posed
some challenges. The kitchen peninsula’s distinctive
form, which came to be called “the canoe,” is made of
curved native walnut and reflects a deliberate layering
of space. In addition, thoughtfully articulated ceilings
and carefully placed lighting help reinforce spatial
definition while allowing expansive and uninterrupted
views to the dunes and water.
The finely crafted interior maximizes the use of
every inch of space in a fashion that is similar to that
of a classic, well-considered yacht. This creative use of
space as well as quality materials lend a nautical air to
this beach house’s style.
The home earned an Energy Star label and LEED
Gold certification under the U.S. Green Building
Council’s LEED for Homes pilot program. A Rumfordstyle wood-burning fireplace, one of the home’s
traditional elements, was carefully customized with a
closed air-flow system and seamless glass doors to
meet LEED’s strict indoor air-quality and tightness
standards. On the shingle-style exterior, deep
overhanging eaves, hidden awnings, and a pergola
provide solar control. The outcome is that these LEED
Gold standards don’t “announce” themselves; instead,
the home discretely radiates the quiet charm of a
cottage tucked behind the dunes.
Bruno Architecture
Dragonfly Lodge, Blue Hill
A multigenerational gathering place for a large family.
Construction: Acadia Construction (Britt
Whelpley, construction manager)
Engineering: Atlantic Engineering (structural),
Andrew McCullough Engineering Consultants
(civil), Carpenter Associates (mechanical)
Lighting Design: Peter Knuppel Lighting Design
Landscape Design: Bruce John Riddell
Landscape Architect
Photography: William Geisler Photography
A
fter passing through the old stone gates of a 1920s estate,
the road winds downhill through the trees toward the
shore. Dragonfly Lodge sits nestled between the woods
and the water, looking south to a view of Blue Hill Bay.
A spacious living room open to the second floor above sits
in the center of the floor plan. Blueberry fieldstone and granite,
harvested from old Blue Hill quarries, and sea-washed bricks
were used in the fireplace in the living room. The white-painted
wood walls impart a feeling of spaciousness, while the natural-fir
finish on the second-floor ceilings adds warmth.
The second floor has three bed-and-bath suites. A children’s
bunkroom is located adjacent to the parent’s water-view
bedroom, providing both privacy and connectivity. The rear suite
doubles as an upstairs living space for younger family members
to relax. Across the second-story bridge is a bedroom suite that
offers the most privacy, as well as views of bay and gardens to
the west.
Throughout the first floor, oversized glass doors connect the
interior to the deck and the gardens beyond. A large stone fire
pit refocuses the view toward a private beach to the east.
The overhang is continuous around the house, providing extra
shelter from the severe coastal weather while at the same time
reducing the visual scale of the exterior. The south-facing design
contributes solar gain. Closed-cell foam insulation was used
throughout the house for maximum R-value, and radiant heating
was installed beneath the wide-plank flooring.
MH+D DECEMBER 2012 77
Elliott + Elliott Architecture
Pondhouse, Mount Desert Island
Located at the edge of a harsh
oceanfront environment, this
collection of buildings marries the
familiar with the unexpected.
L
Construction: Mike Temple
Engineering: Becker Structural
Engineers
Interior Design: Gary Ruff Interiors
Lighting Design: Peter Knuppel
Lighting Design
Landscape Design: Richardson &
Associates, Landscape Architects
Photography: Tom Crane Photography
T
hree simple cottages linked by
a series of decks make up this
summer compound that extends
over a tidal salt pond at the
edge of the ocean. Inspired by the fishing
shacks and wharf buildings that dot the
coast of Maine, this retreat weaves large,
modern sliding-glass panels into a modest,
shingled house with New England cottage
features, where the contrast of old with
surprisingly new is revealed. The small,
punched windows on the landward side
give way to an open floor plan, and the
water-facing walls include large swaths of
glass exposing views of the ocean beyond.
The interior space is a reflection of the
exterior form but with a modern treatment.
A large granite boulder provides a base for
78 DECEMBER 2012 MH+D
the fireplace, and the stainless-steel-clad
flue suspended from the structure above
contributes to the lightness of the space.
The interior columns transfer the house’s
load to a steel frame anchored in the
pond’s granite basin—the steel piers that
hold the building are an updated version
of the wood piers that support traditional
wharf buildings.
The main wharf cottage contains
communal living spaces: kitchen, dining,
and living rooms arranged in an open
floor plan. A cantilevered deck links the
interior space to the environment beyond.
The flanking cottages contain private
sleeping quarters and frame views to the
surrounding moss-covered forest.
Kaplan Thompson Architects
Near Merezero, Falmouth
An eclectic home receives a deep energy
retrofit, smaller footprint, and updated interior
Construction: Kolbert Building & Renovations
Engineering: Casco Bay Engineering (structural); South Mountain
Company (mechanical)
Interior Design: Interior Resources
Lighting Design: Greg Day Lighting
Landscape Design: Ann Kearsley Design
Photography: James R. Salomon Photography
B
uilt in the 1970s, the original
house had an eclectic character,
including a variety of recycled
materials and an exposed postand-beam structure that the owners
particularly loved. Yet despite the perfect
south-facing orientation, the house
provided low thermal comfort and high
utility bills. The somewhat gloomy interior
had limited views of the surrounding
garden, private pond, and fields on the
10-acre property. A separate guesthouse
and studio was built in the 1990s, but it
was situated far from the main house and
it disrupted natural groundwater flow.
The client desired a smaller footprint
(both literally and environmentally), an
updated interior, and a deep energy retrofit
to achieve net-zero efficiency without
compromising comfort or aesthetics. The
architects created a design that reduced
the need for space and that combined
functions. And by physically moving the
entire studio building closer to the main
house, drainage was improved and the
overall footprint was reduced.
The new design comprises a variety
of features that capitalize on the natural
beauty of the site, including covered
p o rc h es , n ew d o r m ers, uncovered
terraces, and an energy-producing tower
that serves as a workspace or guest
bedroom with spectacular views of the
meadow and wooded area to the north.
The entire exterior was reclad, and four
inches of exterior insulation was added.
Existing features were shingled, and
new features were clad with horizontal
or vertical boards to visually distinguish
between the old and new.
MH+D DECEMBER 2012 79
Whitten Architects
Camp Porta Panagia, Sebago Lake
A Maine family camp revisited.
L
ocated on the shore of Sebago Lake, Camp
Porta Panagia (named after the historic
basilica in Pyli, Greece) is nestled in the
pine trees, and commands south-facing
views of the lake. Although the site had an original
camp structure built by the owners’ family, it had
deteriorated over the generations and could no longer
serve the growing family’s needs.
The new design created an open relationship
among living spaces, which include a modern kitchen,
a dining area that can accommodate 12, a living room
with cathedral ceilings and a stone fireplace, and a
screened porch and balcony overlooking the lake. The
camp also has four bedrooms, an entryway mudroom,
recreation room, laundry, and three-and-a-half baths.
Although less than 2,900 square feet, the careful use
of large south-facing windows and taller ceilings make
the spaces feel generous and well proportioned.
From the north, the camp maintains a two-story
roofline. As the site falls away to the water’s edge, a
day-lit basement provides access to a lower terrace.
The scale of the three-story façade is balanced by the
screened porch, deep overhangs, and white-cedar
log columns. Both the exterior and interior materials
reflect the site and local camp aesthetic. Although
rustic in appearance, the camp integrates lowmaintenance, high-efficiency materials and systems.
The owners and their family played an active role
throughout both the design and construction phases.
The involvement of the clients enabled the architects
and builder to design and construct a camp that
provides a welcoming place for the entire family to
enjoy the peaceful lake setting.
Construction: Island Cove Building &
Development
Engineering: Albert Putnam, PE
Landscape Design: Isaac N. Labbe Masonry
Photography: Rob Karosis Photography
A4 Architects
Lookout Point Residence, Salisbury Cove, Bar Harbor
On a steep Mount Desert Island site, a family’s
summer home reflects the warmth of its owners as
well as the textures and colors of its surroundings.
Construction: Brian D. Shaw
Engineering: Albert Putnam, PE (structural); G.F.
Johnston & Associates (civil)
Landscape Design: Coplon Associates
Photography: Augusto Rosa
O
n a steep ledge in wooded terrain overlooking Frenchman’s Bay, the excited new owners of this property
turned to their architect and asked, “So can we build
something here?” “Of course,” Kay Stevens-Rosa responded, looking at the road above and out to the breathtaking
bay views as her mind raced through the complexities of the
challenge. After renting a neighboring cottage for many summers, the family had come to love the place, which was hidden
away from the commotion of their everyday urban existence.
Months of site studies and digital modeling produced an elegant design that carved the home into the hillside, hugging the
natural contours of the land. An inviting terraced stone entrance
is naturalized by the deft touch of the landscape architect. The
warm cherry trim and white-paneled interior—punctuated by a
gallery of treasures found by the family while beachcombing—
steps down toward the sea, as it opens to the view along a wall
of glass punctuated by skylights, then opens out onto an expansive deck. Windows that strategically frame large boulders, a
fireplace made of stones from the site, and the soothing colors
of beach pebbles and sea glass create a dialogue between the
inside and the outside.
What began as a daunting challenge became the project’s
most interesting and wonderful feature.
MH+D DECEMBER 2012 81
Barba + Wheelock Architecture, Preservation + Design
Traditional Light-Filled Residence, Waldoboro
Inspired by the traditional forms of midcoast Maine
homes, this house integrates innovative features to
capitalize on daylight and views.
82 DECEMBER 2012 MH+D
L
ocated on a 30-acre site, this
new classic revival home sits on a
high point of land, with sweeping
views of the Medomak River
through the trees. The client wanted a
home that was traditional in style but
filled with daylight. His desire to offset
the long winters inspired the architects
to “borrow light” by incorporating glassblock flooring on the second floor, which
allows daylight from specially designed
skylight dormers above to flood through
to the floor below. “We wanted to bring
in light and filter it from above without
losing the traditional feel of the house,”
says architect Cynthia Wheelock. To
accomplish this feat, she and partner
Nancy Barba designed “skylight dormers”
using Wasco Classic Extended Pyramid
Skylights instead of roofing above the
dormers. The dormer above the stairwell
and the second-floor landing also allows
sun to pour through, bathe the glassblock floor on the landing, and then filter
through to the foyer below.
Elegant formal living spaces dominate
the center of the house, bookended on
one side by a cozy library that doubles as
a guest room and, on the other side, by
an English conservatory dining room that
provides views of the woods and water
beyond.
Second-floor bedrooms and baths are
flooded with light from the other skylight
dormers, and the master bath has a glass
shower with a window and view.
The kitchen, open to the formal living
spaces, is both formal and functional.
Classic proportions and details highlight
rooms unified by reclaimed southern
yellow-pine floors throughout.
Construction: Bruce Laukka
Engineering: Price Structural Engineers
Interior Design: Interior Resources
Landscape Design: Richardson &
Associates, Landscape Architects
Photography: Sandy Agrafiotis
John Gordon | Architect
Causeway House, Southwest Harbor
Construction: Nichols Construction
Landscape Design: Coplon Associates
A summer home inserted into a native
landscape of trees and ledge on Mount
Desert Island.
T
he basic design for this project
was prepared for a different
client. After the recession hit,
the project was put on hold and
the property was sold. The new owners
liked the design prepared for the previous
owners, so they decided to make only
minor revisions.
This house is all about the site, and two
distinctive features drove the design. One
is a large outcropping of ledge that bisects
the narrow lot. The second is a carpet of
moss and lichen between the ledge and
road. The clients wanted a medium-sized
traditional house that did not disturb the
natural landscape.
Photography: John Gordon
The design “inserted” a linear house
along one property-line setback. The
footprint is 24 feet wide and narrows
to 17 feet where the house and ledge
converge, producing a negligible impact
on the site. The positioning of the home
together with the sloping contours of the
property placed the main living level “up in
the trees”—an effect that is enhanced with
thoughtfully placed windows that frame
views into the woods.
In spite of its wooded setting, the
house is flooded with natural light. People
are drawn to the screened porch and its
tree-filtered sunlight.
MH+D DECEMBER 2012 83
Richard Renner | Architects
Seacoast Retreat, Southern Maine
A contemporary, energy-efficient
beach house.
L
ocated on the southern Maine coast, this
2,900-square-foot energy-efficient home
complements its oceanside setting. The
curve of the roof, the gentle arc of the kitchen
island, and the undulating steel railings were inspired
by the patterns of the coast, sand, and water—and
by the gently curved shape of the owner’s favorite
boatbuilding tool: the clinching iron. The landscaping
and native plantings blend in with the surrounding
natural beachfront vegetation, and the nestled house
is unobtrusive when seen from one of the state’s most
popular beaches.
Still, the architects faced several challenges.
Permitting requirements and a desire to preserve
neighbors’ views left a very tight building envelope
for the home. The clients wanted all the rooms to have
dramatic views of the beach and ocean, but the size
and location of windows had to be carefully balanced
with privacy needs and energy efficiency.
The homeowners asked for a modern home
that did not feel unwelcoming and cold. The entry
sequence gently draws visitors into the building, and
once inside, views to the beach and ocean unfold as
one moves into the living areas. Carefully detailed
cabinetry and natural-wood finishes in the open
kitchen warm the space. Carefully integrated with the
fireplace, similar cabinets in the living room provide
seating, storage, and display space. When not in use,
the television above the fireplace disappears behind
sliding doors displaying art. Throughout the house,
neutral-colored walls provide a perfect backdrop for
the owners’ extensive art collection.
With iconic views of the coastline from every room,
this house is a tranquil retreat from the hectic beach
traffic in the summer and the wind, cold, and snow
during the winter.
.
Construction: Wright-Ryan Homes
Engineering: Becker Structural Engineers
Lighting Design: J & M Lighting Design
Landscape Design: Mohr & Seredin
Photography: James R. Salomon Photography
84 DECEMBER 2012 MH+D
Van Dam Architecture & Design
Private Library, Coastal Maine
A complex residential program for eclectic collectors.
Construction: Cold Mountain Builders
Engineering: Becker Structural Engineers
(structural), Petersen Engineering (mechanical)
Interior Design: Chatfield Design
Lighting: J & M Lighting Design
Landscape Design: Bill & Beth Long
Exterior Stonework: Freshwater Stone
Cabinetry: E. H. Fortner Woodworking
Photography: Tim Street-Porter
W
here does an architect go for ideas when the client
wants a private library, an artist’s studio, guest
quarters, work space for an antique-book business,
a pizza oven, and a garage for both farm equipment
and an Alfa Romeo convertible, all in one building situated on
a hill? Van Dam Architecture and Design looked to Italian hill
towns, where living quarters, shops, and work sheds merge into
continuous forms that hug the topography, and where buildings
are not discreet objects but assemblages constructed to meet
needs over time. Their materials are a collage of stone, wood,
metal, and beautiful flowering plants. The well-traveled clients
understood the proposed concept immediately, and they took
their time to carefully consider each aspect of the design.
A stone piazza connects the older main house with a new
one. A pergola with a large table and outdoor oven extends from
the library door to a high stone wall with views of a fountain,
ponds, and rugged hills. The building is surrounded by gardens
that have been cultivated over time. Siting involved working
with the owners and their gardeners to retain beautiful fern
beds and trees while also creating space for strikingly original
planted areas.
The library is sumptuous, like the living room of a villa, but
the space serves many functions. While the home looks like
the set for an opera, the owners prefer rock-and-roll parties. A
big television pops up from cabinets filled with antique boxes.
Hand-printed art books and volumes on the history of cooking
give way to large prints. One of the owners is the agent for
the estate of Leonard Baskin. His collection of Baskin’s prints
and bronzes are everywhere. Bold proportions, a clerestory,
sparely detailed cabinets and lighting, and fire suppression and
humidity controls make it resemble a modern museum. But all
is brought to life by the brilliant choices of a nineteenth-century
Italian fireplace and Tuscan festival–inspired chandeliers.
MH+D DECEMBER 2012 85
Stephen G. Smith Architects
Cook Residence, Southwest Harbor
A shingle-style summer residence on
the granite shore of Somes Sound.
Construction: Hewes & Company
Engineering: Gartley & Dorsky Engineering &
Surveying
Interior Design: Michelle Phelps
Landscape Design: Bruce John Riddell
Landscape Architect
Photography: William Brehm
T
he owners’ love of boating played a large part in
the interior aesthetic of this understated shinglestyle summer residence. The couple wanted to
incorporate yacht-like quality and craftsmanship for
the finish work, and skilled local craftsmen were employed.
Solid mahogany beadboard wainscoting, custom mahogany
windows and doors, and cherry book-matched veneer
paneling were used throughout the house.
The custom windows and doors were built with teak
thresholds and brass tracks and finished on the exterior with
a marine-quality paint. The double-hung windows operate
with solid brass weights and chains similar to those used in
fine historic buildings. The solid mahogany exterior doors
86 DECEMBER 2012 MH+D
lift and slide with a stacking feature to create an eight-foot
unobstructed view of Somes Sound and Mount Desert Island.
Several special design features were requested by the
owner, including a second-floor study and loft with a built-in
bed designed in the style of a sailor’s bunk, a granite fireplace
built with locally quarried stone, and the extensive use of builtins for storage and display. The entire concrete foundation
was concealed behind a thick veneer of quarried granite,
which helps to blend and anchor the building to the site and
its natural landscaping. Covered balconies and terraces, the
extensive use of custom, stacking glass doors, and strategic
window placements connect the interior rooms to the unique
setting and the water’s edge.
Scott Simons Architects
The VIA Agency, Portland
Renovation of the former Baxter Library building.
T
he VIA Agency is a nationally recognized
advertising group. In 2010, VIA found itself
with an opportunity to move their office
spaces into the 22,000-square-foot former
Baxter Library building on Congress Street. Scott
Simons Architects was asked to re-purpose this
unusual building for VIA, bringing a new look and feel
to the space that would support their aspirations to be
one of the most innovative, competitive agencies in the
business. Their strategy was to create dynamic, modern
office space within the beautiful building—contrasting
new, high-tech materials with the historic fabric of
the existing building. The designers intentionally left
the original form and detail of the building as intact
as possible. They inserted cellular polycarbonate wall
and ceiling panels, glass and metal railings, perforated
metal partitions, and wood sliding-door panels to
define and enclose the new office and studio spaces,
while carefully coordinating the mechanical, electrical,
and IT needs of the modern office and production
studios to be as invisible as possible within the historic
details of the existing structure. The former reading
room in the center of the library was transformed into
an exciting new space that includes views into the
video-editing studio, the digital “knowledge center,”
and the “Forum,” which features stepped seating for
audio-visual presentations.
Because the building is on the National Register
of Historic Places, the architects were required to
work with the National Historic Preservation office
in Washington, D.C., to make sure that the interiordesign changes met federal guidelines. The project
received historic preservation tax credits, LEED Silver
certification, and approval by the National Parks
Service.
Construction: Benchmark Construction
Engineering: Structural Design Consulting
(structural), Bartlett Design (electrical)
Interior Design: Frankie Elmquist Architecture &
Interior Design
Furniture Design: Jamie Johnston Furniture
Preservation Consulting: Tremont Preservation
Services (MA)
Photography: Bernie Meyers (left, top) and
Sven Fahlgren (left)
MH+D DECEMBER 2012 87
Knight Associates, Architects
Spencer Residence, Georgetown
A new house built on an existing footprint allows
year-round use.
88 December 2012 MH+D
David Matero Architecture
Construction: Senecal
Construction Services
Engineering: Casco Bay
Engineering
Interior Design: Jeanne
Handy Designs
Lean Too House, Brunswick
A light-filled home’s site alignment and exterior
sunshades maximize both winter sunshine and
summertime shade.
Lighting Design: Greg Day
Lighting
T
he existing camp was quite
charming on the inside but
kind of dull on the outside, and
it could not be upgraded to a
year-round home because it had been
built for summer use only and had no
real foundation. Because the site was
extremely restricted, the local planning
board allowed the owners to build a new
house on the existing footprint, even
though that footprint was close to the
water. While expanding the house by
the allowed 30 percent, the architects
attempted to keep the intimate cottagesized scale of the original building. They
also worked to maximize the west-facing
views over the bay that make the site so
spectacular.
Beyond the practical considerations
of fitting all the required spaces into the
existing footprint and staying under the
imposed height limitation, the architects
also wanted to respect the scale of the
surrounding buildings. They created
a house that appears as a number of
interlocking volumes—an assemblage of
smaller pieces that doesn’t visually seem
bigger than its neighbors.
Construction: Andy Bosso
Staircase: York Spiral Stair
Landscape Design: Cosmic Stone &
Garden Supply
Photography: Randy O’Rourke
Energy Consulting: Complete
Home Evaluation Services
Realtor: Mike Hamilton,
RE/MAX Riverside
Photography: Darren Setlow
Photography
D
avid Matero, along with a contractor and a realtor, approached
the owner of the Lulwe Ridge
development in Brunswick with
the concept of designing, marketing, and
constructing energy-efficient homes on
his empty lots. The team’s give-and-take
design and pricing process focused on a
forward-thinking house that would incorporate durable, low-maintenance materials,
energy efficiency, and a properly thoughtout design that considers the way families
live without making unrealistic demands on
the occupants.
A primary concern was how light
would benefit the occupants. In the final
design, light splashes the interior from
high openings, and windows pushed to
the corners bounce light farther into the
interior spaces. Solar gain in the winter
complements the R-38 insulated walls and
R-60 roof, and a deep roof overhang and
Douglas-fir sunshades block the summer
sun and help keep the house cool in the
summer.
Designed to adapt as a family’s needs
evolve, additions such as first-floor
master-bedroom suite, screened porch,
and a breezeway with garage have been
pre-planned into the design so they will
require only minor changes to the existing
construction. Even the loft could easily be
converted to a bedroom if necessary.
A great deal of consideration was
given to reducing waste and utilizing local
products. The walls were panelized, and
the roofs and trusses are purposely simple
in design. The yellow-birch floors are made
in Maine, and the recycled barn board used
for the accent wall came from a barn down
the road.
This “Lean Too” house is the first
completed prototype, and the team hopes
there will be many more homes built and
adapted to their particular landscape and
surroundings.
MH+D DECEMBER 2012 89
Silverio – Architecture + Design
Guesthouse, Penobscot Bay
This guesthouse for visiting family members and friends can be
enjoyed all year long.
Eric A Chase
Architecture
East Penobscot Bay Residence
A new full-time residence for an active
couple who have owned the property
since the early 1970s.
A
Construction: Landmark Construction
Photography: Brian Vanden Brink Architectural
Photographer
A
t the end of a peninsula in
Penobscot Bay was a family
compound with turn-of-thecentury buildings. The main
house was not livable in winter, and
the growing family who gathered
during the summer needed additional
space. The owners asked the architects to
evaluate the existing buildings and site to
determine how best to accommodate their
needs. The recommendation: to construct
a guesthouse and two garage and storage
buildings to be located nearby. Although
off to the side, their site was still in view
of the main house, leaving room for lawn
in front and allowing views down to the
water.
To take full advantage of the view,
an open, full-length covered porch was
added to the guesthouse. The rooms
inside all share access to the porch and
unobstructed sightlines, giving the house
a casual indoor-outdoor flow for summer
90 DECEMBER 2012 MH+D
use. A single large room contains the
kitchen at one end and a large stone
fireplace at the other. The three bedrooms
are all upstairs. Extending off the back, an
ell contains a game room downstairs and
a Pilates exercise room above. The cottage
provides lots of space for summer guests,
and it can be heated in the winter.
The exterior finishes were meant to
weather over time to blend into the natural
landscape and not compete visually with
the main house. For these reasons, cedar
shingles were chosen for the walls and
roof, and the white trim mirrors the color
of the main house. The interior was meant
to be casual and durable, so beaded
paneling was used for the walls and ceiling.
The kitchen was designed to address the
owner’s desire for an “unfitted” look, with
custom cabinets, an old slate sink, and a
large range.
The house is part guesthouse, with
touches of lodge and clubhouse.
fter visiting and camping on their
property, which stretches along
the eastern side of Penobscot
Bay, the couple had high
expectations for their new home. Now
their new driveway swings shoreward
over some intervening wooded ledges to
a small, level site carved out of a ledge.
Despite the size of their new house, its
low profile, stained cedar-shingle siding,
and dark roof shingles, as well as the
careful siting and preservation of existing
trees, make it inconspicuous and nearly
invisible from the harbor.
The house’s two largest roofs face due
south, allowing for solar hot-water panels
and photovoltaic arrays. The floor plan
runs north and south to give the interior
spaces maximum east-facing water views
through a screen of pines, spruces, and
birches. The first-floor layout includes
the master bedroom, the wife’s study,
the library, dining room, living room,
and screened porch, all connected by
an outside deck that terminates in a low
stone wall. (Most of the stone walls on
the property were built from the blasted
ledge.) From the kitchen, the owners can
look through the dining room to the views
beyond, and a heated connector links the
kitchen to the pantry, utility entrance,
laundry, and a combination barn and
garage. The kitchen island stands exactly
where a large maple tree, used for its
countertop, once stood.
The second floor has three guest
rooms, a sitting area for family and friends,
an exercise room, and an octagonal office
with panoramic views. In addition to the
solar hot water and photovoltaic array,
two geothermal wells provide the rest
of the home’s heating needs. The wellinsulated house is designed to be virtually
energy independent.
Construction: Lennard Bridges
Engineering: Atlantic Engineering
Landscape Design: Down East Landscape
& Design
Photography: Brian Vanden Brink
Architectural Photographer
MH+D DECEMber 2012 91
Caleb Johnson Architects
& Builders
Blue-Green Renovation, South Portland
A bare-stud renovation and addition integrates
sustainable, low-energy systems and a
comfortable mix of a traditional New England
aesthetics with modern design.
Construction: Caleb Johnson Architects & Builders
Carpentry: Lavertu Construction
Cabinetry: Derek Preble Cabinetmakers
Mechanical: Advanced Heating
Electrical: MJ Electric
Painting: Cecil’s Painting
Drywall: Collin & Sons Drywall
Energy Consulting: Horizon Residential Energy Services
Excavation: Woods Home & Land
Photography: Trent Bell Photography
T
he project started with a dilapidated two-family
house in South Portland that the clients purchased
because of its location. Caleb Johnson Architects
was enlisted to transform the building into a home.
Their instructions: create a green structure with low energy
demands that incorporates modern design within the context
of a New England–style building and neighborhood. Caleb
Johnson’s approach was to start with a new floor plan that
required all bearing walls to be removed and replaced with
Maine-hemlock beams. These beams and their structural
connections became an expressive part of the design and set
the tone for the rest of the house.
After the structure was put back together, a blower92 DECEMBER 2012 MH+D
door test was performed by Horizon Residential Energy
Services, and its air-tightness rating was the second-best the
company had tested, in spite of the complicated addition and
renovation process. The project features Maine materials and
craftsmanship throughout—notably in the custom-turned,
one-off column made of reclaimed cypress near the front entry,
the bold cabinetry, reclaimed antique doors, and Maine-ash
flooring. Acting as both the architect and general contractor
allowed Johnson and his team to affordably manage the
execution of the home’s many custom features. MH+D
For more information, see Resources on page 118.