Private Residence, Snow Island, Maine
The client for this house was an accomplished sailor who purchased a 30 acre island off of the Maine coast with the intent of creating a a year round home that would embody his approach to life which focused on simplicity, isolation, and self-reliance.
The design divides the program into three utilitarian structures- main house, guest house, and barn – that are linked by raised walkways and create an outdoor space between them. This serves the dual purpose of creating a sense of place and precinct within the natural environment while also allowing individual structures to be “shut down” when not in use to conserve energy. Each building is small in scale and directly express their function eschewing non-essential elements. They are also oriented to different view corridors while themselves creating individual elements in the landscape to be viewed from the other two structures.
The internal layouts of the structures are simple and direct. The barn consists of a large open space that accommodates a workshop, laundry, space for all-terrain vehicles, and an overhead storage loft for provisions. The guest house has two levels, each with an open living/sleeping space, bath and storage along with a first floor compact kitchen. The two levels are connected by an exterior stair that allows the building to accommodate separate guests when necessary. The main house consists of a two story living dining space flanked by a two-leveled wing with kitchen, bath, entry, bar, and office on the first level and a bedroom, bath, and open balcony above.
To expedite the construction process and to minimize excavation and disturbance to the natural environment, the buildings were almost entirely pre-fabricated on the main land and then shipped by barge for erection on the island.