Beachmist
Some of the most appealing locations in New England are where historic villages meet the ocean. Often these locations are developed with infrastructure for fishing and boating, but occasionally beautiful dunescapes and soft sand beaches occur. These are highly coveted home locations. Beachmist has such a site. The back of the house looks out over dunes, beach, harbor, and ocean. Also in view is the beloved historic district in which the house sits. Antique houses abound, including several directly across the street.
| Project Category | Seaside |
|---|---|
| Scope of Work | Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Construction |
| Finished Space Above Grade | 3,226 |
| Photography | Jared Kuzia |
The street side is a modified Cape Cod Cottage, compact in both footprint and height to meet regulatory agency preferences that include historic stylistic consistency and minimizing blocking neighbor’s views.
The house is relatively close to the street, befitting its village location, but separated from it by a traditional fence. A shallow front porch, big enough for symbolic meaning but not so big as to use up much of the maximum allowed footprint, welcomes visitors to a casually off-center front door.
The primary goal was creating a beach house that took full advantage of its spectacular location while at the same time was a friendly and appropriate participant in the historic context. Adding to the challenge were both historic and conservation regulations that restrict building in such a sensitive location.
On the ocean side the house opens to the view and a large deck that sits just above the top of the dunes.
Wide sliding doors and a cable railing allow the dynamic view to be largely uninterrupted from the interior spaces and give this side of the house a more contemporary feeling.
