The east side of the house is the entry with a higher porch that wraps to meet visitors. The scale of this porch might offer the greatest formality of the entire project. Above the entry porch, the large gable, with its deepest rake overhang, subtly leans forward. One may not consciously notice, however, its heaviness is surely felt.
The home sits gracefully on the site which created it. Light and laughter mingle about the southern hemisphere; the sun’s daily path burns a perfect smile onto the corner lot. At morning, when the sun is low, the front porch captures light and sea breeze.
The home’s south elevation is true south. The fenestration here is picky and the largest windows of the project, save a window wall, are in the dormer of the upper roof. These windows allow afternoon light to filter through the interior like a prism. In fact, it could be said that all southerly windows are thought of in this way.
The gem of this structure, most finely detailed, is a small room contiguous to the kitchen. The nook is the heart of this site, where the interior extends into the exterior, opposite of a porch. For this reason, it is a very dynamic place, a pure extension of rationalism and where built environment meets natural world. The owner will determine where this fine line will live; outside, inside or at the window wall.
The sun completes its ‘smile’ on the home’s rear elevation. The eave of the rear porch is lower than on the front and shades the largest expanse of glass. As the sun sets over Madaket, the home squints at the brilliant light raking the landscape.
I have an affinity for the north façade. Like midnight, the north side of the building is decidedly lonely but stands braced for what will come from the north. Its eaves are lowered, buttoned down. The building appears battered where walls are eased to deflect a wrath. The fenestration is mostly ground, noticeably without void. On the north roof, too, there is a dormer, smaller than the south.
I’ve stood at Sankaty light looking at the sea. One feels the exposure of this place in the wind. Yet that very specific spot is significant as the lighthouse is a visible beacon from the water or air. Many times I’ve found it on the horizon, and anchored myself with it, as if the Gray Lady were speaking only to me.
The north dormer is a symbol of the Sankaty light. The small dormer is entirely within the roof, a beacon in the sea. With higher windows the view from inside will reveal only sky, a world view not nearly pondered enough. Every six seconds one may catch a glimpse of Sankaty’s strobe against the vaulted interior.
There is one last surprise worth mentioning, perhaps my favorite place. I would like to stand on the northwest corner of the second floor deck, specifically just after the sun sets in summer, and look out as the sky is darkening. This is a unique moment in the day of this place. As my silhouette may fade in the dark, there is nothing in this moment that is about me. And I can think of no place I’d rather be.
