Seapine Gables

Eight gable shapes are deployed on Seapine Gables to create a roofscape that brings definition to a compact footprint below that includes living spaces, an integral two car garage, a screened-in porch, a small front porch, and a second-floor balcony. The second-floor footprint is nearly equal to that of the first, yet at the front facade the scale is still that of a one-and-a-half story house—typical in the neighborhood of mostly Cape Cod Cottage style homes. The garage doors are hidden from the street and reached by a gracious, gently curving driveway that passes by the front entry facade from across a flat plain of lawn and stone walkways.

The entry porch is shallow to avoid using up too much of the buildable footprint on the highly-regulated waterfront site, but the stout classical columns emphatically announce entry, as do the gabled dormer above and the slightly projecting gabled wings to either side. A simple, vernacular classicism is the result. Once through the symmetrical sequence of approach from driveway to entry porch, the informality of relaxed seaside living takes over. The front door is casually set off to one side of the porch and it opens to a modest, rather than grand, hall. A slight turn presents a view through the house to the water and separates an open work/music space from the circulation. One large room with sub spaces defined by arched openings and simple ceiling shapes accommodates living, dining and kitchen across the waterfront side. A screened-in porch occurs right off the space and shares the view.

A freeform pool, spa, waterfall and terrace sit behind and to one side of the house and overlook the salt water pond. A mostly glass facade facing the water overlooks the pool and terrace. An outdoor kitchen, dining and lounging space, a firepit, and sloping lawn separate the house from the pond’s bank. House, landscape and stunning natural context work together here to suggest relaxed living—or maybe even require it!