75 Market Street - Eric A Chase Architecture

November/December 2011 

The 

Architecture 

Issue

75 Market Street 

Suite 203 

207-772-3373 

www.mainehomedesign.com 

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PROJECT /// 

ARCHITECT 

BY SUSAN GRISANTI 

Twenty of Maine’s latest, most inventive, and striking architectural projects 

reveal their designers’ philosophies, approaches, and styles 

How they handle challenges. How they 

interpret how clients want to live, or work, in a space. THOUGHTS ON 

BUDGET, ON THE ENVIRONMENT. Do they edit down to bare minimalism 

or create opulent detail? Are their plans thoughtful, inventive, and 

controlled? DO THEY PUSH THE LIMITS OF THE IMAGINATION? 

In every issue we share the extraordinary work of Maine’s immensely talented 

architects, but once a year—in our special Architecture issue—the MH+D team 

o� ers a comprehensive look at architects and their compelling projects around 

the state. On these pages you will see everything, from the highest international 

standards of energy e� ciency and innovation to incredibly creative projects 

on limited budgets to beautifully preserved classic cottages. We hope to whet 

your architectural appetite with a wide range of approaches and styles to inspire 

you—whether you have grand ideas for designing your state-of-the-art dream 

home or hope to make small-scale improvements. 

MH+D NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 61

GREEN DESIGN STUDIO 

HOUSE ON PEMAQUID POND 

An energy-e� cient home of wood, glass, and stone on Pemaquid Pond 

The warning was music to Chris Briley’s ears. “Our 

tastes are more modern. We don’t want a New 

England farmhouse.” What the clients did want 

was a green home that looked like it belonged on 

Pemaquid Pond in Bremen. 

The directive yielded a design of natural materials expressed 

in modern ways. Synthetic fi nishes were avoided 

as much as possible, and instead the emphasis is on warm 

wood, o� set by the cool concrete and stone. 

The house incorporates a passive-solar design in which 

overhangs were designed to allow in the low-angle winter 

sun and cut o� the higher summer sun. The fi rst-fl oor 

radiant slab is polished concrete that has the added benefi 

t of providing substantial thermal mass to the house. A 

90-tube solar collector array provides all of the domestic 

hot water and approximately 50 percent of the remaining 

space heating. In extended periods of overcast cold days, 

an e� cient, gas condensing boiler provides the rest. 

The roof of the home is very special, because it has a living 

plant material on it. A vegetated roof manages storm water. It 

also respires, so in the summer, the heat gain from the roof is 

zero. But best of all, it looks gorgeous! 

62 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 MH+D 

Construction: Eastern Construction Company 

Structural Design: L + L Engineering 

Solar Design: ReVision Energy 

Kitchen & Bath Design: Steinberg Custom Designs 

Photography: Trent Bell Photography

Construction: GO Logic 

Structural Engineer: Albert Putnam, PE 

Landscape Architecture: Ann Kearsley Design 

Lighting Design: Peter Knuppel Lighting Design 

Photography: Trent Bell Photography 

GO LOGIC 

TERRAHAUS, UNITY COLLEGE 

On target to be the fi rst Passive House–certifi ed student residence hall 

in North America 

Last August, 10 Unity College students moved into 

a unique campus residence: TerraHaus, designed 

and built by GO Logic, an architecture and construction 

collaborative between Alan Gibson and 

Matthew O’Malia. TerraHaus is expected to be certifi ed according 

to the Passive House standard, the highest international 

standard for energy e� ciency, which would make 

it the fi rst U.S. college residence to receive this certifi cation. 

This 2,000-square-foot residence is designed to use 

the equivalent of 80 gallons of oil per year for space heating, 

less than 10 percent of the average heating load for 

a home of its size in our climate. In fact, in zero-degree 

weather, the heating load for TerraHaus could be met almost 

completely with a standard hair dryer. The house 

achieves this remarkable level of e� ciency from four key 

components: superior air sealing, superinsulation, solar 

orientation, and triple-glazed windows. Also noteworthy is 

its creative use of space, comfortably housing 10 students 

in an apartment-style dwelling, greatly reducing the average 

area and energy use per person for a student residence 

of this size. 

TerraHaus is the fi rst of three residence halls that will 

make up the SonnenHaus village of highly energy-conscious 

dorms on the Unity College campus, breaking new 

ground for green building in college communities. 


JOHN EDWARD GILLESPIE, 

ARCHITECT 

COASTAL SUMMER RESIDENCE 

A shingle-style study in simple elegance and pastoral preservation 

John Gillespie’s love of the Maine coast and the architectural 

style that is indigenous to the region 

made him the ideal architect for this classic shingle-style 

summer home. Sited near the crest of a 

large sloping meadow running to the ocean, the home’s 

southeasterly exposure provides views to the islands beyond. 

Gillespie worked within a stringent set of site restrictions 

and took view corridors, ledge outcroppings, tree 

locations, and solar orientation closely into account to develop 

the confi guration of the house. 

The owners expressed their commitment to land and 

wildlife preservation practices and, despite an ambitious 

plan, wanted the project to be as green as possible. To that 

end, as many nonformaldehyde-based products were employed 

in the construction as possible, along with Forest 

Stewardship Council–certifi ed wood products, non-CFC 

sprayed-in-place insulation, high-density polyethylene 

conduits and footing drains, noncopper fl ashing, cast-iron 

sanitary stacks, and Pex domestic water lines—all coupled 

with a closed-loop geothermal heating system, dual polemounted 

solar array, radon mitigation system, energy recovery 

system, and fresh-air ventilation and humidifi cation 

systems. 

Although grand in scale and rich in detail, the house, 

with its comfortable and understated interiors, exudes a 

simple elegance that befi ts its shingle-style heritage. 


Construction: Cold Mountain Builders, Inc. 

Consulting Structural Engineer: Albert Putnam, PE 

Mechanical Engineer: Innovative Construction & Design 

Solutions, LLC 

Interior Designer: Donna Janville Interiors 

Landscape Architecture: Mohr & Seredin Landscape 

Architects 

Photography: Trent Bell Photography

Construction: Bob Casey 

Engineer: Andrew Bradley 


CALEB JOHNSON ARCHITECTS 

CAMP ELLIS COTTAGE 

Rebuilding a one-hundred-year-old family cottage on the dunes 

Caleb Johnson loves a challenge. He believes that 

a beautiful and functional design should also 

respect the environment, the budget, and the 

client’s vision. When asked to recreate a onehundred-year-old 

family cottage that had been all but destroyed 

in a storm, he happily accepted the opportunity 

to responsibly rebuild within the fragile dune environment. 

And he delivered, with a 1,600-square-foot four-bedroom 

house for under $250,000, including design, pier engineering, 

and construction. 

Johnson and his team embraced the challenges of 

working within the frontal dune site. Regulations dictate 

that all new buildings within a fl ood hazard zone be elevated 

at least three feet above the high-water mark, which 

prevented the use of standard foundation systems. Collaborating 

with structural engineers, Johnson and his team 

implemented a design using heavy timber piles to create a 

fl ow-through foundation. 

Weathering cedar siding on the exterior and knotty 

pine on the interior help preserve the feeling of the original 

cottage. The fl oor plan maximizes ocean views from 

each room, includes four bedrooms, and provides oceanside 

gathering spaces within the four porches that make up 

one third of the square footage. 


CAROL A. WILSON ARCHITECT 

KILMON CARTER RESIDENCE 

A quietly designed home where the views take center stage 

T 

he idiom, “Still waters run deep” comes to mind 

when viewing this project, and the body of work 

of Carol Wilson and her team in general. “Our 

design philosophy is to edit, edit, remove and remove, 

rather than add more and more ‘special features.’ In 

Maine, the view and the landscape are the special features,” 

says Wilson. 

Wilson calls the house construction “very simple,” and 

admittedly, the materials used are straightforward: the 

beams are laminated timbers; the walls and ceilings are 

of simple gypsum wallboard; the fl oors are Maine ash and 

pine milled from trees on the site; and the cabinetry is lacquered 

fl ush doors on hidden European hinges. However, 

behind those doors lies all that one needs and uses everyday—at 

hand but not in sight—creating a quiet, elegant 

space for the beauty of the views to come through as well 

as a mental rest for the home’s occupants. 

There is a corridor with paneled walls hiding closets 

that runs the length of the house. The homeowner’s dog, 

Chloe, runs the length of the corridor. When Chloe leaves 

the house, she heads for the tidal mud fl ats. The fl oor of the 

back hall is slate, and behind large rolling panels is a dog 

bathtub, complete with leash hook and handheld shower. 

Chloe jumps in, and homeowner Mary Kilmon sits on the 

wide tile edge and rinses o� the dog. 


Structural Engineer: Casco Bay Engineering 

Landscape Architecture: Richardson & Associates 

Photography: Scott Dorrance 

photo: Trent Bell

Construction: Nichols Construction, LLC 

Structural Engineer: Casco Bay Engineering 

Landscape Architecture: Coplon Associates 

Photography: John Gordon | Architect 

JOHN GORDON ARCHITECT 

RIPPLES HOUSE 

A small summer home on Mount Desert Island is fueled by the sun 

Architect John Gordon is well versed in developing 

creative, sustainable design solutions 

on limited budgets. He worked with a couple 

who are both members of the overseas U.S. 

diplomatic corps to design their summer home. Together 

they decided to build smaller in order to stretch their 

budget for higher quality materials. The 1,020-square-foot 

home has one small bathroom, a simple kitchen, and a 

small combined laundry/utility room. A stained concrete 

fl oor throughout the ground fl oor saved on foundation and 

fi nished-fl oor costs. A sleeping loft overlooks the open, 

combined rooms of kitchen, dining room, and living room. 

Arguably the most distinctive feature of this house is 

its large screen porch with openings on all four sides. This 

wonderful outside room is a sleeping porch, dining room, 

and extended living room all rolled into one. 

Another benefi t of the building’s summer-only use and 

optimum solar access was the ability to include a small 

solar photovoltaic (PV) array. As a result, this building uses 

nominal electricity when unoccupied, then the sun converts 

the house into a micro power plant for nine months 

a year. 


JOHN MORRIS ARCHITECTS 

NEW ENGLAND FARMHOUSE 

A light-fi lled farmstead runs on fully integrated photovoltaics 

Born of the multiple needs of a busy, growing family and the desire 

to create a home that would be as energy-e� cient as possible, 

the owners of this Lincoln County farm worked closely 

with John Morris Architects to reorganize their farmstead. The 

original barn, a large three-story timber-frame structure, had a groundfl 

oor llama stable below the water table of an adjacent pond, and was 

subject to fl ooding during high-water periods. By relocating the old 

barn and supplanting it with a large, watertight house addition, Morris’s 

design accommodated a variety of demands without visually overpowering 

the existing Cape and ell. A high priority was to reuse the former 

barn site to visually anchor the farmhouse and take full advantage of 

the sunny views over the pond. To this end, a new, waterproof foundation 

was engineered and built to accommodate a new living room, 

master suite, guest suite, game and exercise spaces, home o� ce, and a 

greatly improved entrance and mudroom. 

The house is heated by a surprisingly small modulating propane 

boiler with carefully tuned and balanced radiant loops. The shading effect 

of the large enclosed porch on the adjacent dining room is greatly 

diminished and o� set by large argon-insulated glass skylights. The addition 

and ell renovations capture the sunlight and views to the southwest 

that pervade every main space with warmth. Just to the north, the 

owner, architect, and ReVision Energy gracefully sited a large photovoltaic 

array that supplies all electricity to the farmstead. 

Richardson & Associates of Saco assisted the owners and architect 

with multiple grade transitions to create a cohesive and pleasing landscape 

design. 


Construction: Morris Construction Services 

Landscape Architecture: Richardson & Associates 

Photography: Rob Karosis Photography

Construction: Eco Sound Builders, LLC 

Timber Framer: Bird’s Eye View Woodworking 

Structural Engineer: Summit Engineering, PLLC 

Photography: Sandy Agrafi otis Architectural Photography 

LASSEL ARCHITECTS P.A. 

LAKESIDE GETAWAY 

Spaces fl ow organically at this intricately detailed timber structure 

overlooking the woods 

The design process for this lakeside second home 

was intensive. The Lassel Architects team gathered 

much information from their client’s specifi c vision. 

The result, an open-concept plan with Greene & 

Greene–inspired timber framing, provides large, open 

spaces for entertaining, generous views to the lake, 

and sleeping lofts that comfortably accommodate 

extended family overnight. The building’s footprint is 

a Y-shape: the two shorter wings pivot o� the staircase, 

which winds around a natural tree trunk up to a tower 

room with 360-degree views of the surrounding lake and 

forest. The main structure is of Douglas fi r, while the white 

oak splines and pegs contrast in color, in keeping with the 

home’s Japanese joinery. 

The family enjoys the home throughout the year, so 

careful attention was paid to insulation and e� cient mechanical 

systems. Solar orientation allows for shade in the 

summer and takes advantage of passive-solar gain in the 

winter. The design also takes into account cross-ventilation 

for each bedroom and a variety of high- and low-awning 

windows to allow cool air to move through the home and 

replace the warm air in the upper fl oor. 

And all that careful planning has yielded many gathering 

places, including the fi replace on a cool fall evening, 

the screened porch on a summer day, and the tower to 

experience a blizzard. 


OAK POINT ASSOCIATES 

FALMOUTH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 

Maine’s new largest elementary school o� ers a healthy, stimulating educational 

environment that engages the natural world 

The new 140,000-square-foot, $28.6 million Falmouth Elementary 

School designed by Oak Point Associates’ principal architect 

Robert Tillotson is expected to achieve LEED Gold 

status from the U.S. Green Building Council. 

Low-impact development strategies—bioretention basins, grassed 

soil fi lters, porous asphalt pavement, vegetated roofs, and rainwater 

harvesting for fl ush fi xtures—were utilized. Strategically placing the 

school on the existing middle and high school campus allows administrators 

to be in close proximity; places less impact on adjacent sensitive 

land; and enables schools to share sta� , educational spaces, newly 

relocated athletic fi elds, parking and circulation routes, and a central 

heat plant. The use of renewable energy sources, including solar, geothermal, 

and biomass, further reduces the facility's environmental impact. 

Falmouth students and sta� are provided a healthy interior that 

features extensive views, low-VOC fi nishes, excellent ventilation, and 

adjustable lighting in a dynamic educational environment that merges 

architecture inspired by nature with e� ective learning technologies. 

Interior fi nishes include irregularly placed cedar on the lofty entry ceiling 

(reminiscent of forest landscapes) and rolling wave patterns in the 

cafeteria. The 72 classrooms are outfi tted with Wi-Fi, LCD projectors, 

document cameras, and sound amplifying systems. During everyday 

lessons, students and teachers utilize portable iPads and laptops, 

which can easily be brought to the green roof “classroom.” This roof 

garden features decks, benches, and a variety of local plants, o� ering 

a unique and engaging learning environment. 


Construction: Harvey Construction 

Civil, Structural, Mechanical & Electrical Engineering, 

Interior Design, Lighting Design & Landscape 

Architecture: Oak Point Associates 

Photography: Kim Roseberry

Construction: HP Cummings 

LEED Consultant: Fore Solutions 

Structural Engineer: Becker Structural Engineers, Inc. 

Mechanical & Electrical Engineer: Allied Engineering 

Civil Engineer: Knickerbocker Group 

Lighting Design: J&M Lighting Design 

Photography: Robert Benson Photography 

SCOTT SIMONS ARCHITECTS 

COASTAL MAINE BOTANICAL GARDENS BOSARGE 

FAMILY EDUCATION CENTER 

Maine’s fi rst net-zero institutional building is the Bosarge Family Education Center at 

the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens 

The Bosarge Family Education Center is Maine’s 

greenest building—LEED Platinum–certifi ed and 

the fi rst commercial net-zero building in the 

state, only the second in New England. Designed 

by a team led by Scott Simons Architects of Portland and 

Maclay Architects of Waitsfi eld, Vermont, it is built to the 

highest standards ever achieved in the nation, yet it looks 

completely at home in this coastal botanical-garden setting. 

It is a wonderful fusion of modern technology and 

design with vernacular form. 

The transparency of the entry hall allows one to see 

through the center of the building, and in the summer, the 

gardens appear to fl ow right through the building, connecting 

the entrance side of the building with the garden 

experiences behind it. The multipurpose room can accommodate 

150 people at round tables and nearly 200 people 

in rows of chairs. When the moveable wall panels are pulled 

across, and the acoustical panels in the trusses above are 

closed, it can function as three classroom spaces, each 

with great views to the gardens out the front and back of 

the building. Each interior classroom has a corresponding 

exterior space, so the doors can be open in nice weather 

and the class can literally move outside into the gardens. 


WBRC ARCHITECTS · ENGINEERS 

OCEAN AVENUE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 

An environmentally conscious redevelopment of an existing urban school site to educate 

students for years to come 

The new kindergarten-through-fi fth-grade school, 

tucked away inside Portland’s Back Cove neighborhood, 

is targeted to achieve LEED for Schools certifi - 

cation based on its high-e� ciency HVAC equipment, 

solar hot-water collectors, and use of local and recycled materials. 

Local materials used include Angela Adams–designed 

carpet patterns. The sculpture artists at May & Watkins Design 

were selected through the Maine Percent for Art Program. The 

angled granite along the entry plaza—a design feature developed 

by landscape architect Peter Biegel to follow the tapered 

concrete piers at the bases of the entry-canopy columns—is 

constructed of recycled granite curbing from the City’s salvage 

yard. 

The reused site, with no street frontage except for two existing 

drives, slopes to a single City manhole. The design includes 

10,000 square feet in vegetated roof that attenuate and 

treat the runo� on the site. 

Open, fl exible space with natural daylighting enhances the 

comfort of the elementary school. The classrooms in each 

wing link together allowing fl exibility in teaching methods. 

They also surround shared small group activity spaces that further 

enhance educational program possibilities. All classrooms 

have large windows looking out on the wooded parcel, wetlands, 

and bio-retention beds that enhance the outdoor- and 

sustainability-education features of the school’s curriculum. 


Construction: Ledgewood Construction 

Civil Engineer: Sustainable Design Studio 

Interior Architecture, Electrical, Mechanical & Structural 

Engineer: WBRC Architects · Engineers 

Landscape Design: Land Design Solutions 

Photography: Mike Pullen, Bernie C. Meyers Photography

Construction: Nickerson & O’Day, Inc. 

Mechanical, Electrical & Plumbing Engineer: 

Carpenter Associates 

Civil Engineer: Hedefi ne Associates 

Landscape Architecture: Coplon Associates 

Photography: Helen Caivano, Geo� rey Fraser 

ROC CAIVANO ARCHITECTS 

WRIGHT HALL AT SCHOODIC EDUCATIONAL 

RESEARCH CENTER 

Converting the rusted old “sword” of a naval base into an exciting new 

“plowshare” of an environmental study center 

Wright Hall is a renovated structure designed 

for the National Park Service on their new 

campus on the Schoodic Peninsula in Acadia 

National Park. Over the past four years 

Roc Caivano and Geo� rey Fraser have been working to 

convert an abandoned naval base into an education and 

research center. The original building, a military dispensary, 

was gutted, decontaminated, and then wrapped in 

layers of SIPS insulation. The exterior siding is made up of 

fl at-seam pre-patinated copper panels and eastern white 

cedar treated with a 50/50 mix of bleaching oil and weathering 

stain. The interior includes three large classrooms, 

two large laboratories, six o� ces, and a library. Solar-collector 

windows were added to the south side, and photovoltaic 

collectors to the roof. The 20 kilowatts generated 

is shared with neighboring buildings when not needed by 

Wright Hall. 

In the course of the project, many old buildings were 

removed, and their salvageable parts were recycled. Concrete 

was crushed and used as a sublayer for new roads 

and parking. Fraser coordinated eight consultants from 

landscape architects to engineers, hazmat specialists to 

signage designers. Construction for the entire project—fi ve 

structures and the entire landscape—took less than a year. 


KNICKERBOCKER GROUP 

RICK NELSON, AIA 

SEASCAPE 

A collection of grand cottages is meticulously crafted on a dramatic waterfront site 

The inspiration for this elegant estate began at the shoreline. Set 

slightly back from the water, a high point of ledge o� ers views of a 

lighthouse and sailing school to the north and island-studded ocean 

views to the south. 

A central gambrel form draws you into the grand entry where a domed 

ceiling fl oats above a graceful double stairway and the intricate marble fl oor 

inlay. Ahead, 16 feet of curved mahogany doors disappear into hidden wall 

pockets, but the greatest feat of the design team is the fl ush stone sill that allows 

for uninterrupted fl ow from indoors to out. With curves meeting curves 

in every room, the intricate wood moldings were individually designed by 

Knickerbocker Group architects and Urban Dwellings designers, who carefully 

detailed each piece to smoothly transition to the next and provide continuity 

throughout the home. 

With much of the property dedicated to shared spaces for entertaining, 

privacy was a key concern in the design of the master suite. Thick mahogany 

arched wooden doors open to a private gallery. Ahead is a richly appointed 

o� ce just o� the master bedroom, where windows frame the lighthouse view. 

A private stone terrace ends at the ledge where the inspiration for the property 

fi rst began. 


Construction, Cabinetmaker: Knickerbocker Group 

Engineer: Lincoln/Haney Engineering Associates, Inc. 

Interior Design: Urban Dwellings 

Lighting Design: Greg Day Lighting 

Landscape Architecture: Gates, Leighton & Associates 

Photography: Brian Vanden Brink

Construction, Cabinetmaker: William B. Winkel Builder, Inc. 

Structural Engineer: Swift Engineering 

Interior Design: Jeanne Handy Designs 

Photography: Brian Vanden Brink (above) 

Randolph Ashey (above, right) 

CARRIAGE HOUSE STUDIO 

ARCHITECTS 

CASCO BAY COTTAGE 

A charming yet dark and tired Cape is transformed into an energetic and 

energy-e� cient cottage-style home 

After completing a renovation to the main house 

and a barn expansion previously, architect Carol 

DeTine returned to the Casco Bay Cottage project 

this year for phase two. DeTine’s work on the project 

remained true to her mission in phase one: to integrate thoughtful, 

inventive, and controlled expansions in order to update this 

home for modern living. Where there were once small windows, 

cramped rooms with low ceilings, and obscured water views, 

there are now open living spaces that face ocean views to the 

south and east. Second-fl oor dormers maximize headroom yet 

fi t within shoreland zoning rules limiting height and volume. 

Her charge in phase two was to revamp the kitchen and 

mudroom, and to integrate a solar energy system. Kitchen cabinets 

were hewn from two-hundred-year-old Maine maple salvaged 

from Moosehead Lake by the DeadHead Lumber Company. 

Solar panels for electricity and hot water exploit the barn 

roof’s southern exposure. Insulation was added to the kitchen, 

the mudroom was rebuilt, and triple-glazed windows were installed. 

While the changes to the living space feel monumental, 

the footprint expanded just two hundred square feet, nicely exemplifying 

a strategy that DeTine has termed, “adding inward,” 

creating new space without adding square footage. 

MH+D NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 75

ERIC A. CHASE ARCHITECTURE 

OCEANVILLE HOUSE, DEER ISLE 

In an exquisitely landscaped setting, a handsome, shingled classic houses the generous 

hospitality of its owners 

Eric Chase is a good listener. And he has built a 

fi rm that values client input as well as collaboration 

from others working on the project. On the 

Oceanville House, Chase worked with landscape 

architect Bruce John Riddell on what was a seemingly ordinary 

wooded site to transform it into a truly stunning 

property with views o� the east side of Deer Isle, looking 

north into Southeast Harbor and east out to Stinson Neck 

and Jericho Bay. 

The owners, a couple with two young daughters, have a 

family history of coming to Maine in the summer and wanted 

a shingle-style house that would comfortably embrace 

extra family and friends. Inside, the fi nishes refl ect a contemporary 

tendency while still relating to a traditional cottage. 

Extensive use of wood enhances the cottage feel of 

the house but, being more fi nished and sparsely detailed, it 

feels more modern. 

Chase also collaborated with Lawson Builders. Both 

the builder and architect worked closely with the client on 

choices throughout the project. This is especially apparent 

in the choice of materials, from the copper roofs to the ash 

ceiling in the living/dining area. 


Construction: Lawson Builders 

Landscape Architecture: Bruce John Riddell Landscape 

Architect 

Photography: Brian Vanden Brink

Construction: Chris Gormley 

Photography: James R. Salomon Photography 

RICHARD RENNER | ARCHITECTS 

CONTEMPORARY URBAN INFILL 

A contemporary, energy-e� cient home that complements its eclectic neighborhood 

Richard Renner Architects was called on to create a 

roomy home within a small footprint in a Portland 

downtown neighborhood. The completed project 

is one that the designers themselves say they 

would love to live in. The perfect size for a couple but large 

enough to entertain a group, one can imagine a quiet winter 

evening in the home or a summer afternoon with guests on 

the roof deck and spilling out from the kitchen/living space 

into the backyard. 

There is one o� ce/bedroom, with a lovely view to Casco 

Bay, one bathroom, and an o� ce on the second fl oor. 

On the fi rst fl oor is the kitchen, living and dining room, a 

half-bathroom, and an entrance space. Although only 1,200 

square feet, the home accommodates the owners’ many 

interests—gardening, music, and woodworking (there's a 

shop in the basement). The exterior is clad in galvanized 

steel roof shingles, which require little maintenance. The 

repeated horizontal dimension is consistent with the wood 

siding typical of the neighborhood. The form recalls the 

classic New England triple-decker, and the parapet is a 

modern translation of a historic parapet. In addition to being 

a design element, it screens and serves as a rail for the 

roof deck. 

In the evening, the character of the house changes as 

this silver box begins to glow, revealing a silhouette of the 

homeowner’s collection of cacti in the window. 


WHITTEN ARCHITECTS 

GRAND VIEW COTTAGE 

A preserved and improved classic summer cottage 

with a beautiful site and grand view 

In 1915 Grand View Cottage was built in Boothbay Harbor. 

As a kid, Rob Whitten spent summers in Boothbay and 

always enjoyed seeing the old cottage. He recalls noticing 

how it looked like it belonged right there and nowhere 

else. 

Coincidentally, when the current owners wanted to create 

a four-season home, they called on Whitten Architects 

for a design solution. Carefully concealed structural repairs 

were made to the existing cottage, preserving the classic 

details. On the exterior, high-performance windows, new 

insulation, and new cedar-shingle siding were added. 

An energy-e� cient master quarters was added in a 

new wing with a glass porch connecting it to the cottage. 

This unit allows the owners to visit in the winter without 

needing to heat both structures. Interior spaces include a 

small living area with stone fi replace, a kitchenette, and a 

master bedroom suite. Nestled into the trees, the addition 

is intentionally set into the background, allowing the original 

cottage and its entry porch to remain the prominent 

feature. 

A new garage and apartment is thoughtfully located so 

as to screen the home from the road. The space between 

the new garage and the original cottage creates a welldefi 

ned arrival courtyard. This welcoming space allows 

guests to leave their cars behind and move toward the 

view, and the waterside porches. 


Construction: Knickerbocker Group 

Interior Design, Kitchen and Lighting Design: Whitten 

Architects 

Engineer: Lincoln/Haney Engineering Associates, Inc. 

Landscape Architecture: Back Meadow Farms 

Photography: Rob Karosis Photography

Construction: Redfern Properties, Todd Harrison 

Construction Inc. 

Engineer: Structural Integrity 

Interior Design: Urban Dwellings 

Photography: Je� Scher Photography (above and top right), 

Nathan Hankla (top left) 

KEVIN BROWNE ARCHITECTURE 

PRESUMPSCOT POINT 

Shingle style gets a modern edge 

Kevin Browne is not looking to rethink traditional architecture—he 

just wants to add an edge to it. His goal 

is to take traditional detailing and blend it with more 

contemporary features. The premise for this house, 

which he worked on with long-time collaborators Jonathan and 

Catherine Culley of Redfern Properties, started with a common 

architectural theme: the shingle style. Browne has worked with 

the Culleys on numerous homes and other rehab projects, but 

this home was designed specifi cally for them and their growing 

family. They worked together on ways to incorporate modern 

features into the traditional design, such as black trim, a distinctive 

entryway with tumbled rather than polished black and white 

marble, and a fl oating curved staircase with stainless-steel balusters 

and a large Noguchi pendant lamp. The kitchen cabinetry 

is traditional in form but painted a very dark, bluish gray. Glass 

matchstick tiles and a light gray concrete countertop also denote 

a more modern approach. In the living room, co� ered ceilings 

feature a markedly simplifi ed trim detail and a larger scale. 

Three sets of French doors drench the house in south-facing 

natural light throughout the day. 

Radiant heat is used as an e� cient heating system. Low-e 

windows, water-sensible plumbing fi xtures, low-VOC paint, and 

the positioning of the house on the site to maximize its solar gain 

round out the list of the sustainable features found in this home. 


WINKELMAN ARCHITECTURE 

TROLLSATUA (TROLL’S DEN) 

A bright, energy-e� cient new structure, on a tight budget, that can 

be enjoyed year-round 

The existing camp on the banks of the New Meadows river 

in Brunswick was cramped and dark, propped up on concrete 

blocks and sagging dreadfully, when the owner of 

the property approached Winkelman Architecture. She 

had the desire to create a modest, bright, comfortable, and energye� 

cient new structure on a tight budget that respected the beautiful 

site. The result is a 1,090-square-foot, single-level, two-bedroom 

dwelling. 

Zoning constraints had a strong infl uence on the shape and 

plan of the new camp. Since the permitted volume was greatly 

constrained by the zoning, a traditional gabled roof form seemed 

wasteful. The new structure has fl at and shallowly pitched roofs to 

squeeze the overall volume down into the living spaces. Toward the 

back, where the bedrooms are located, the roofs are almost fl at, but 

over the living and dining areas the roof twists and angles up more 

dramatically to let the panoramic river views and sunlight fl ood 

in. Traditional roofi ng materials don’t lend themselves well to fl at, 

twisting roof forms, and a planted roof was an attractive and obvious 

choice to blend in with the natural surroundings, reduce runo� , 

and bolster the already superinsulated building envelope. 

Nearly all of the interior and exterior fi nishes were sourced from 

local mills and quarries, which fi t in nicely with the green spirit of 

the house and had the added bonus of keeping costs low. The scale 

of the fi nishes was deliberately exaggerated to emphasize the small 

structure’s relationship to its natural surroundings. 


Construction: Ron LeBlanc 

Structural Engineer: Structural Integrity 

Photography: Eric Sokol, Will Winkelman

Construction: Warren Williamson Construction 

Engineer: Casco Bay Engineering 


KAPLAN THOMPSON ARCHITECTS 

WHITE MOUNTAIN VIEW 

A simple and gracefully designed retreat sits high in the western mountains of Maine 

This is a unique home, a simple and modest living 

space built over a horse barn. The horses 

are retiring to Maine along with their owners 

to fl ee the Texas heat, and they all end up with 

the best view in Oxford County. 

A mud and tack room sits on the ground fl oor with 

an open staircase that leads to the main living space 

above. The kitchen and living room are expansive and 

open, with a full master suite and a sleeping loft above. 

The house was oriented to pull in as much winter 

sun as possible along the long south side through the 

mudroom and dormer windows, while carefully aligning 

the gable end and suspended balcony straight at Tuckerman 

Ravine on Mount Washington, a favorite hiking 

spot for the couple. 

The project was meticulously built by Warren Williamson 

to withstand the harsh wind and cold that 

sweeps across from the White Mountains. The entire 

house was wrapped in two inches of rigid foam insulation 

on top of cellulose-packed walls and was carefully 

air-sealed to ensure that the house won’t leak water or 

heat. 

There might eventually be a main house on the 

property, but for now this house seems to be just the 

right size. MH+D 

For more information, see Resources on page 112.

75 Market Street - Eric A Chase Architecture

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