House in the Landscape: Siting Your Home Naturally

House in the Landscape Siting Your Home Naturally J erem i ah Eck P r i n c e t o n A r c h i t e c t u r a l P r e s s , N e w Yo r k

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Coastal

N ew E n gland

Coastal House Falmouth, Massachusetts, 2005 Eck MacNeely Architects

This house on the coast not far from Boston, designed by my office, Eck MacNeely Architects, is a blend of old and new, and this specific mix or style, if you will, began with its site design and not from some preconceived notion. The homeowners came to us with conflicting concerns. An existing house on the site built in the early twentieth century had no distinctive qualities. It wasn’t sited properly, most of the rooms were dark with bad views, and the exterior was deteriorating. Stylistically, the old house wasn’t even a good example of shingle style found throughout the neighborhood. The clients wanted to tear it down and start over, but the neighborhood association insisted that the fabric of the neighborhood be preserved. As many of the houses near the site were traditional, the homeowners did not want to offend their neighbors with a house that was too stylistically separate from the others. They were determined that the house fit in on the exterior without being too slavish to historical types, but just as determined that the house take full advantage of the site, no matter what style that produced.

We decided to tear down the old house, since most of the existing house was unremarkable, with the exception of a few interior details such as the fireplace mantels and staircase newels, which the homeowner donated to the local historical society. The most displeasing feature was the height of the first floor above the existing grade around the house: at a full five feet it effectively prevented any easy access to the site, especially along the water, except by way of stairs, or, in other words, ten steps. With the collaboration of landscape architects Richard Burck Associates, our early design effort focused on a more useful and inspired relationship to the site.

Within the confines of conservation setbacks from the ocean and neighboring wetlands, as well as zoning setbacks from property lines, we positioned the new house on a flatter area of the site. Even within those constraints, the final positioning was more sympathetic with the site and a clear improvement over the previous house. The move was unusual for a water site since it meant moving the house closer to the street, but it actually resulted in much easier access to the outside, since the first floor of the house was now three shallow steps from grade and a series of low terraces on the water side. The resulting larger lawn area was also a nice contrast to the natural vegetation of shrubs and trees such as Rosa rugosa and red cedar

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that remained within the conservation setback. An existing narrow path was preserved for the occasional walk to the beach.

As we positioned the house closer to grade, we also configured the house’s rooms so that they all had good views and good sun during some portion of the day and had direct access to the exterior on the first floor. The result was a house plan that took on a very freeflowing character in sharp contrast to the dark, broken up rooms of the original house. And because the house is only one room deep—one can actually see through it from the street to the water—it receives good cross ventilation from southwest breezes in the summer and feels smaller than it really is at 7,800 square feet.

In deference to the owners’ concerns about privacy from the neighbors, this contemporary interior design of free-flowing connected rooms was balanced by a more traditional exterior massing consisting of cedar shingles, minimal trim, steep gables, and low sloped

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overhanging roofs that provide shade, protection from a variety of weather conditions common along the Massachusetts coast, and require little long-term maintenance.

This house is a good example of site responsiveness that also satisfied conflicting concerns. It gave the owners both a contemporary, open plan that answered their current living needs and a more traditional exterior that blends with the neighborhood houses. It did so by adhering to good siting principles such as using the topography effectively and positioning rooms for more sun and breezes. The resulting style was a true mix of old and new, pleasing both to the owners and neighbors.

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Even within the confines of Falmouth

Conservation Commission requirements, expansive views to the water were possible. overleaf

A blend of traditional and

contemporary shapes helps the house mix well with the neighborhood.

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Large porch overhangs help shield the

outdoor sitting areas and indoor spaces from afternoon sun. w

Decks separated by low stone walls are

just a few steps down to the wide lawn area beyond.

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From afar, the house harmonizes with

land, sea, and sky. s

Site plan and site plan with vegetation

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