Drawing Board

Simple Rhythm

THE DRAWING BOARD-September 2009

A mountain retreat takes advantage of the shallow slope of the land

Step by Step

THE DRAWING BOARD-August 2009

A five-acre site just outside a small town in southern Maine is the setting for this custom prefab home. The home started as a site-built project but, due to economic concerns, turned to the option of prefabrication. The manufacturing partner’s operation is uniquely structured to provide site- and client-specific designs while still achieving the typical 10 to 20 percent savings and quick construction time associated with prefab.

Lake House Living

THE DRAWING BOARD-June 2009

A lakeside bungalow undergoes a facelift to accommodate a growing family

Located on Great East Lake in Acton, this 87-year-old camp is undergoing a major renovation and facelift to accommodate the owner’s growing family. Due to the camp’s proximity to the water, very tight volume and square footage constraints have been placed on the structure, making it very important to maximize use of all living space.

Fruitful Design

THE DRAWING BOARD-May 2009

A super-insulated orchard cottage centered on the kitchen

Situated in the far corner of a young heirloom fruit orchard, this Provençal stucco home was originally designed to be a tiny guest cottage where the owner could live and work during the construction of an eventual main house. The client liked the design and unobstructed views of the orchard so much that he scrapped the larger house altogether and had the architect modify the guest cottage to become a smaller and more intelligent use of space. The result is an exceptionally energy-efficient and environmentally responsible design, utilizing a third less space without sacrificing livability.

A Lakeside Retreat

THE DRAWING BOARD-April 2009

A return to a more native Maine landscape

Whitten Architects and Richardson & Associates Landscape Architects are collaborating on the design of a family retreat in the western lakes region of Maine. The project will involve the return of the property’s waterfront to a more native Maine landscape and will include a timber framed screen house. Positioned to take advantage of proximity to the lake’s shoreline, the screen house will include a full service kitchen complete with a grandmother’s walk-up refreshment stand overlooking an adjacent picnic terrace. On buggy nights, the family will be able to enjoy sunsets and dinner by the lake from the protection of the screened-in sitting porch and dining room. Marshmallow roasts and starry nights can be enjoyed from the stone-paved campfire pit and seating area. A small privy and outdoor shower will serve the swimming area to the south. In order to ensure a people-friendly environment with a direct link to surrounding nature, car traffic and parking will be kept at a 200-foot distance from the structure. This outdoor-oriented haven will ultimately provide for lifelong memories of summers by the lake for the entire family.

Rooftop River View

THE DRAWING BOARD-March 2009

A Brunswick camp with a vegetated roof balances river views and solar orientation

Situated on a pastoral overlook on the New Meadows River, this compact two-bedroom camp’s unconventional plan and mass takes its form by balancing water views and passive solar orientation with the existing tree cover and unique zoning constraints of the site.

Organic Design with Economic Sensibility

THE DRAWING BOARD-JAN/FEB 2009

A Biddeford project designed to bring nature in while being energy efficient

Architect: Caleb Johnson Architects
Square Footage:  Main House - 1,800
Garage/Apartment - 1,300

Builder: Lavertu Construction
Cabinets: Derek Preble Cabinetmakers
Site: Howard Trucking
Electric: MJ Electric
Heating: Casa Pro
Windows: Eagle-Royal Windows

Downeast Island Home

The DRAWING BOARD - NOV/DEC 2008

The organic, barn-like elements of this downeast island home are evident inside and out. The home’s wood shingles and dark green trim visually link it to older homes nearby, while parts of a reclaimed barn were reassembled to provide the home’s dominant living space. The aged exposed beams of the large room provide the framework for a warm, relaxed space that is anchored by a massive stone fireplace on the north wall and a wall of windows on the south; the towering windows provide expansive vistas of coastal waters.

Blue Hill Bunkhouse

THE DRAWING BOARD - OCTOBER 2008

Designed and constructed to accommodate visits from children and grandchildren, this bunkhouse sits alongside a home and pool house created by architect William McHenry of Blue Hill. The bunkhouse reflects the functionality and aesthetic proportions of the main house, without interrupting the original scale of the home. The Arts and Crafts style of the bunkhouse allows the organic elements of the property to flow effortlessly through the interior of the structure. The configuration of the main house and the bunkhouse create a courtyard around the pool and offer a private respite from the nearby golf course.

Sustainability in a Historic Village

THE DRAWING BOARD - SEPTEMBER 2008

Located on a town green with a mountain view, this addition to an 1840s farmhouse combines seasonal living quarters with studios for art and architecture. Situated in a National Historic Preservation District, the home combines the simplicity of New England design with a high level of sustainability.
Embracing the proportions of a barn, the new structure is framed with heavily insulated double walls and triple-glazed windows. The hot water heating system combines a wood pellet stove and a highly efficient gas boiler. The south-facing roof has been designed for a solar domestic hot water panel system and the future installation of photovoltaic panels. Rainwater from all the roofs is captured in two underground cisterns and used for irrigation. Landscaping makes use of low-impact, native plantings such as the garden of blueberries, vegetables, and flowers that backs up to the south wall just outside the barn door to the architect’s studio.

Boat by Hand

THE DRAWING BOARD - AUGUST 2008

60' Classic Motor Yacht

Rockport’s Daniel Skira of the eponymous firm, Skira Yacht Design, still works as his nautical forebears did, rendering his marine creations by hand and in ink, in his case on large sheets of heavy Mylar. Skira’s 60-foot motor yacht was inspired by 1913s style, but has been updated with modern conveniences and design touches. The boat is designed for long-range, off-shore cruising and is spacious enough for a family and, with their own aft cabin, a crew of two.

Summering on the Thoroughfare

THE DRAWING BOARD - JULY 200

Located high above the Fox Island Thoroughfare with views over North Haven to the distant Camden Hills, this summer residence features an organic arrangement of rooms, ample natural light, and an open floor plan that utilizes classic Shingle Style principals. Interior finishes include wide-board walls and traditional rough plaster, as well as Douglas fir woodwork, antique heart pine flooring, and numerous fieldstone fireplaces. The exterior is intentionally intricate to masquerade its considerable size; island granite chimneys and terraces anchor the building. The home employs many tenets of the traditional coastal vernacular, including natural red cedar shingles, projecting bays, and “knife edge” eaves.

From Paper to Nature

THE DRAWING BOARD-JUNE 2008

Built on a high ledge surrounded by spruce, with a long westerly view down to the water, this cottage was designed by John and Matthew Silverio to be a new part of an existing summer colony of rustic log cabins. The main spaces occupy the first floor, with only a loft studio on the second. A clearstory window lights the cathedral living room. The entire interior is paneled, with a large stone fireplace anchoring the design to the ledge. Peeled logs and dark-stained shingle siding evoke the woodsy feeling of a park lodge or camp building.
See Resources for more information.

Into the Woods

THE DRAWING BOARD - MAY 2008

Nestled snugly into the slope of a wooded lot in Cundy’s Harbor, this beach house designed by Kaplan Thompson Architects takes full advantage of the stunning views of Hen Cove and Yarmouth Island. As you approach the entry you see a glassy, delicate connection between home and nature that not only invites you in, but also allows you to get a peek at the water beyond. The master suite is set apart from the main building, creating an intimate retreat within the house itself. The undeniable presence of nature reunites the retreat with the home.

April's Drawing Board

THE DRAWING BOARD - APRIL 2008

Drawings by Eric Allyn, Houses & Cottages

Rooting into the banks of Megunticook Lake, primitive stonewalls that once defined the fields of rural life now lie silently below the water— they are a reminder that the historical evolution of our local landscape often lies just below the surface. This beautifully hand-drawn design from Houses and Cottages by Eric E. Allyn, Architectural Designer honors the property’s historical vernacular while capitalizing on its potential. Working with builder Michael Roy of Phi Home Design, landscape architect Stephen Mohr, and interior designer Linda White, Eric Allyn has designed something of a cottage style gentleman’s farm.