houses of maine: elliott + elliott architecture

Foreword by Philip M. IsaacsonPrInceton archItectural Press, new york

Published by: Princeton architectural Press 37 east 7th street new york, new york 10003

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© 2013 elliott + elliott architectureall rights reservedPrinted and bound in china16 15 14 13 4 3 2 1 First edition

no part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission from the publisher, except in the context of reviews.

every reasonable attempt has been made to identify owners of copyright. errors or omissions will be corrected in subsequent editions.

editor: Megan careyassistant editor: Jacob MooreDesigner: Benjamin english

special thanks to:sara Bader, nicola Bednarek Brower, Janet Behning, Fannie Bushin, carina cha, andrea chlad, russell Fernandez, will Foster, Jan haux, Diane levinson, Jennifer lippert, katharine Myers, Margaret rogalski, elana schlenker, Dan simon, sara stemen, andrew stepanian, Paul wagner, and Joseph weston of Princeton architectural Press — kevin c. lippert, publisher

Image credits: tom crane Photography: 14l, 23r, 144–45, 147–49, 151–56, 160–61, 163–65; lisa M. Dellwo: 143; elliott + elliott architecture: 2–3, 12l, 13r, 14r, 15, 16r, 17, 20r, 21, 31, 53, 67, 74, 86, 89, 97–99, 102, 110, 114–17, 119, 122, 146, 158–59, 162, 176B; wayne n. t. Fuji’i / Fuji’iMage: 23M, 120–21, 123, 125–41; Françoise Gervais: 176M; rob karosis: 22r, 72–73, 75, 77–79, 82, 87–88; Maine historical society: 25; MarItIMe™ speedstrip hull Planking by Maritime wood Products corp., stuart, Fl, usa: 47; thomas o’Grady: 93; courtesy u.s. Geological survey: 11; Brian Vanden Brink: 18–19, 22l, 23l, 26–27, 29–30, 32–45, 48–49, 51–52, 54–66, 68, 71, 80–81, 83–85, 90, 94–96, 101, 103–9, 111–12; ken woisard: 166–70, 176t

library of congress cataloging-in-Publication Data:houses of Maine : elliott + elliott architecture / foreword by Philip M. Isaacson. — First edition.  pages cmIsBn 978-1-61689-122-0 (hardback)1. elliott + elliott architecture. 2. architecture, Domestic —Maine — history — 21st century.na737.e355a4 2013728.09741 — dc23 2012033525

Foreword Philip M. Isaacson

Preface

House in a Meadow

House on a Point

House on tHe neck

House on tHe Barrens

House on a Hill

House on a Pond

afterword

acknowledgments

Publications + awards

Project credits

office team

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william Morris once remarked, “have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” this philosophy pervades life in Maine and in turn defines the concept for this project. Drawn from the aesthetics of shaker meetinghouses and Maine grange halls, simplicity, practicality, and celebration of the ordinary prevail. the owners, a retired priest and a practicing artist, sought pure architectural expression, devoid of any applied ornament or pretense. Keep it simple, keep it simple, keep it simple, was their mantra, and the building evolved around this unyielding principle, which resonated with the natural beauty of the site itself.

By reclaiming a long-overgrown field, the site was transformed into a meadow. on the highest point stands a gathering of buildings—house, barn, and studio—nestled together to form a dooryard. contrasting with the broad views of the field and ocean beyond, traditional stone walls surround this outdoor space, whose serenity is mirrored in the layout of the house.

having relocated from an urban loft, the owners found their affection for an open living environment gracefully accommodated in their new home. their decision to work with historic forms and window patterns led to a plan that is ordered, interwoven, and contained within a simple rectangle. the living room, dining room, and kitchen are stacked, allowing the spaces to share a common view of the water. Many guests have commented that the house resembles the renovation of a historic building—traditional on the outside, modern on the inside.

rooms are minimal, unadorned, and mostly white. carefully selected objects celebrate beauty through singleness of purpose. a utilitarian stair passes by ordered windows without compromise. radiators march rhythmically around the perimeter of the spaces. cabinet pulls are replaced by finger holes—a detail borrowed from boats in the nearby harbor. the fireplace stands solidly as a granite block, while its chimney passes through the floor of the master bedroom above—a straightforward expression that takes on a sculptural quality.

this house tries to honor the shaker philosophy of simple, utilitarian beauty at every scale, from the exacting arrangement of three clapboard structures to the elimination of nonessential elements such as porch posts and cabinet pulls. an early project, house in a Meadow is the first in a series of buildings that employ Maine vernacular precedents, not as an imposition of historicist preconception but rather as an opportunity for contemporary abstraction.

House in a Meadow

simple white-clapboard grange halls dot the landscape throughout Maine.

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25′Ground floor

1 terrace 2 entry 3 powder room 4 mudroom / pantry 5 kitchen 6 dining 7 living 8 studio 9 storage 10 barn 11 storage bay

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local granite, white clapboards, and a metal roof make up the simple, tradition-inspired palette of exterior materials.

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fabricated at a shop in southern Maine, the staircase arrived at the site in a single piece, too large to maneuver into the house. it was hoisted through the windows and placed inside the stair opening.

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the porch roof is supported by unassuming wall brackets rather than customary posts. the choice reflects the owners’ design mantra, Keep it simple.

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“rough backs,” the first slabs cut off quarried blocks of granite, are typically designated as waste. recovered from old quarries, the slabs here create a sculptural pathway linking the house and the studio.

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