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House on the Barrens
The building’s form and general layout are derived from
organized around the linear procession defined by these
the agrarian vernacular construction of Maine. The owners’
connectors. The main common spaces open up into one
admiration for the state’s farmhouses, barns, woodsheds,
another and expand to the outdoors; the more private
and even chicken coops provided inspiration for the
spaces remain self-contained while still maintaining a
design, which includes a cohesive collection of discrete
relationship to the site. A horizontal aluminum curtain
programmatic elements, also directly rooted in local
wall system provides unobstructed panoramic views to
architectural traditions.
the landscape, while a terrace on the southwest corner
The remote location, through wild blueberry
engages the sloping field, which gives way to far-reaching
barrens and a secluded spruce forest, is defined by a
coastal island scenery.
large clearing in the woods. The corner of the clearing
A lichen-covered stone step marks a discreet
intersects with the edge of the tree line and transforms
opening in the spruce forest behind the house, where
into a sloping field interspersed with ledge. It is at the
rough-hewn wood planks designate a path to a fourth
overlap of these two conditions, along the seam between
building, an artist’s space. Along the trail, the studio
the forest and the field, that the main house is sited. Dark-
is gradually revealed through unexpected glimpses of
stained vertical board siding and a gray metal roof allow it
vibrant color. This element is the project’s most direct
to recede into the woods and maintain a low visual impact
reference to Maine’s agricultural precedent: a red barn.
on the landscape when viewed from afar. From high on
A New England archetype, the barn typically employed
the ridge, long panoramic views across the field and over
red paint because ferric oxide acts as a preservative,
Eggemoggin Reach reveal the islands of the coast.
increasing the lifespan of the building. Refusing to merge
The house is an assembly of three distinct gabled
with the landscape (unlike the structures of the main
volumes joined by low flat-roofed connectors that
house), the studio revels in its iconographic form: simple
serve as points of entry and circulation. Interiors are
and unadorned.
The typical arrangement of the connected farm is commonly referred to as big house, little house, back house, barn, as described in a ninetenth-century children’s verse.
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HOUSE ON THE BARRENS
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25′
GROUND FLOOR
1 deck
2
master bath
3
master bedroom
4 study 5 gallery 6 living 7 terrace 8 dining 9 kitchen 10 entry 11 bathroom
3
12 bedroom 13 laundry
4
1 2
5
6
7
8
9 10
11
12
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HOUSE ON THE BARRENS
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