– Westport, Massachusetts

Completed 1996

Four middle aged siblings and their families wanted to build a shared summer home on an inherited piece of land with an outstanding view of the Atlantic Ocean near Buzzards Bay. With a limited budget the challenge was to design a home that fulfilled the two requests for a barn-like structure and a 19th century farmhouse. The 2400 sq. ft. house has 4 bedrooms, three full bathrooms, a laundry and one large living/dining and kitchen space. The one car garage in the lower level opens onto the driveway due to the steep slope of the land to the west. The house is heavily insulated with a southern exposure and many energy efficient windows on the south side. The house is passively heated in warmer seasons and in winter uses a forced hot air furnace and fireplace. The open floor plan on the first floor and open stairway in the center of the house create a chimney effect up through the second story skylights which ventilates the house during humid summer days by drawing air in across the lawns and porches.