Eagle’s Nest
Located on the South Shore of Massachusetts, Eagle’s Nest is a compact contemporary shingle style house—with a mass that appears carved from a single block as opposed to built-up additively. The front displays balanced asymmetry, where there is symmetry in the center (classical entry porch, semicircular dormer window, and cupola). As one moves away from the center the symmetry breaks down, but because the center is so strong, the strength and primacy of the entry sequence is not diminished. The garage is within the mass of the house but hidden from public view on the non-view side.
| Project Category | Harborfront |
|---|---|
| Scope of Work | Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Construction |
| Finished Space Above Grade | 3,603 |
| Photography | Brian Vanden Brink |
On the two water view sides, the roof appears to peel up to reveal a second floor with a continuous band of windows facing the panorama.
The garage is within the mass of the house but hidden from public view on the non-view side. Located in a neighborhood that includes shingle style homes from the past, yet not replicative of any, this house is designed and built to be a creative reinterpretation of a historic and beloved New England coastal architecture.
The woodwork in the dramatic two-story high entry/stair hall clads a nautically inspired barrel-vaulted ceiling with decorative painted ribs.
Woodworking craftsmanship was critical for the ceiling here. The view is spectacular from the front of the house as well, across the street and over the salt marsh.
Inside, the rooms wrap the two view sides so that all have direct views.
There is a primary suite including an office, sleeping room, bath and dressing room on the first floor and two bedrooms, a sitting area/loft and a bonus room on the second floor.
The view of the house corner from the pier evokes the prow of a great ship, with its wheelhouse located to take in the action of the harbor.
The compact footprint allows the house to appear object-like, perched at the edge of the bay right where it transitions to creek and marsh. The street crosses the creek here, and Eagle’s Nest is the first house over the bridge—a welcoming beacon to the secluded neighborhood when arriving in both car and boat. The custom designed and fabricated weathervane, depicting an eagle plucking a fish from the bay, is a flat, signboard-like, symbol of the location, scaled to be visible from out on the bay and down the street.
As Seen In...
New England with a twist, by Eileen McEleney Woods, September 26, 2021.
