This project was a beach residence who’s original genesis with an existing home that the client wanted to renovate. We realized that it would actually have been cheaper to start over than to renovate it as he wanted. Once we made that decision, it was a matter of fitting all of the requirements onto the lot. The client wanted a large open double height living area. He wanted a roof deck. The client wanted for both of these to take advantage of the views of the water he had from this lot. He wanted four bedrooms and a multipurpose room. It was a tight squeeze. The lot a low lying lot in the flood zone requiring raising the bottom floor several feet above the existing grade. This placed us tight against the height restrictions. The house fills the buildable envelope almost completely.
As part of the design process, we ended up constructing some massing digital models to verify how the pieces interacted and the shading of the windows on the southern elevation. Once we had the proof of concept, we could proceed with confidence with the client’s understanding.
Our solution was to create a split level residence. This allowed for the bedrooms to be tucked into the rear of the house. Then the main living, parking, and roof deck areas could operate independently. A central stair was inserted to mediate between the floor levels on the two wings. This worked out very well and although we had to downgrade to a twelve foot ceiling in the main living area. We were very happy with how this house turned out, and our client was so thrilled, he managed to get us work with just about every neighbor on his block. That’s even better than a nice review on Google.
This view of the house is the real wow-factor here. The views from the deck and the living space and the cozy screened porch for two are what make this home.
Looking out over the bay from the giant windows with a small fireplace tucked in between.
As you approach, you can see the glass railings to make sure nothing hampered the view.
The bedrooms weren’t the focus of the client on this project, but we still did our best to make the master as interesting as possible by vaulting what we could and providing some arched transoms to go with the balcony that ties into the roof deck.
The clerestory we added really helps to bring light into the stair which could be difficult as it is the middle of the building.
The railing isn’t up yet, but you can see the counterpoint with the cabinetry and the stairs to the open views on the other side. You can also see the height and the additional windows above the cabinetry.
The large roof deck overhang both helped to stabilize the structure and provide shade for the south facing windows and a cover for the stair. It’s a great design move 3 for 1.
The view out from the kitchen is pretty breathtaking, this massing model shows just how much glass you could get with the window arrangement
The view from the bay is just open. The screened porch on the side provides for a space to enjoy the view away from insects.
The tall great room lets light penetrate deeply into the building and the stair and railing can become a sculptural element away from the views.
Unfortunately, the approach angle is not where we concentrated our money. But once you get parked and especially when you get inside or up on the roof deck, you can see what makes the home special.
We incorporated some high windows over the stair that should allow the evening sun into the stairwell to keep it lit.
A split level home is a bit of an odd duck, but here you can see the tall main living area that the bedroom wing sits next to.
Here’s the top level, it’s mostly master suite and roof deck with a little space to set up for entertaining on the roof with great views of the bay and a technical view of the ocean.
Here’s the ground floor, it’s the family entry and covered parking for the owners to go with a guest bedroom and a multipurpose room.
Here you can see the sectional opportunity afforded to us by the flood zone that let us stagger the floors to maximize bedrooms beneath the height restriction while still allowing a very tall main living area.
The view from the main street as you drive up and park. The giant stair isn’t easy on aging in place but clearly tells you where to go for the front door.
This is the side that faces the bay, lots of glass and open areas to enjoy the views.
