This residence is intended to be a vacation home for out of state clients. Designed as an upside down house it replaces several seasonal cottages on the property. The site resides in a back dune and erosion hazard area per the Maine DEP. Being in the erosion hazard zone stipulates the requirement to be on a flow thru pier foundation. As with all of these coastal dune projects they are subject to the Sand Dune Rules of the Maine DEP and the town's Shore Land Zoning regulations. These regulations present us with challenges as it relates to siting of the house, setting of floor elevations, not exceeding the height requirements along with many other factors. Our approach to designing upside down houses whenever possible is to diminish there overall visual impact. For this project we are able to soften it's appearance from the street side by having a gracious covered entry porch and saltbox roof shapes. The saltbox enables us to break down the mass so that the entire house doesn't appear as a two story structure. The structure does not look like an upside down house when approaching it. The entry porch welcomes guests and upon entering the house a stair is quickly accessed bringing inhabitants to the main level on the second floor.
In addition to the entry porch and main entrance, the first floor contains two Bed Rooms, Common Room to watch TV and play games, shared Bath, Laundry and Mechanical space. It also contains a sizable Mudroom accessed directly from the two car Garage. There is a large covered porch on the water side which is accessed from the Common Room. This porch has a stairway leading to grade in the rear. At the top of the main stairway on the second floor there is immediate access to a walk in pantry and the Kitchen lies within steps. Walking thru the Kitchen with a center island leads to the Great Room. The Great Room is accentuated with a cathedral ceiling and is anchored at one end with a gas fireplace. The Great Room is visually connected to the Kitchen and also has direct access to an open deck. This deck is positioned on top of the covered porch below. The Great Room and open deck have commanding water views. The orientation is west so sunsets are a bonus to also enjoy. The Master Suite is located over the Garage and although private has quick access to the Kitchen and other spaces on the second floor. Aesthetically the house is shingle style with subtle details and colors.
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