Windswept
Perhaps the greatest influence on the work of PSD is the natural context in which it occurs. The forms, shapes, and character of nature in, and adjacent to, the ocean could not be a bigger influence on this work. Sometimes that influence results in literal nautical imagery (like porthole windows, mermaid weathervanes, and the like) or, at a larger scale, forms that evoke the character of sea creatures or water. Look at the roofs of Windswept and what do you see? Whale? Sea Gull? Manta Ray? Boat hull? Wave? Ocean current? It is delightfully open for interpretation.
| Project Category | Seaside |
|---|---|
| Scope of Work | Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Construction |
| Finished Space Above Grade | 5,191 |
| Guest House Finished Space Above Grade | 1,378 |
| Photography | Brian Vanden Brink |
The curves in the roof, porch openings, and brackets are a place of architectural invention. The cedar shingles on the roof and sidewalls are a highly flexible wrapper that can follow the curves and even, at the porch openings, pull away from the wall, curving in both vertical and horizontal planes and creating playful hand-crafted “eyebrows” over each of the openings.
The entry hall woodwork is an eclectic mix of detailing.
It has traditional (raised panel wainscoting), invented (stair balustrade), and abstracted (pilasters and arched openings with keystones). The result is a “naïve” classicism befitting the “relaxed formal” architectural oxymoron that governs. Three arched openings connect the living room to the entry hall, stair, and dining room. The detailing game continues at the living room fireplace and crown molding; and in the ceiling and built-in cabinetry of the living room library corner. The dining room is at the center of the house’s main mass. It projects into the porch and toward the ocean via a large bay window. A ceiling shape that is a simplified version of an umbrella dome is centered over the table, which creates a dramatic feature despite limited height for ceiling level change.
The plan is arranged so all major rooms have direct water views.
A wing containing a family room and screened-in porch extends off one corner of the main house. It provides light and view from four directions and has no second floor above, so a cathedral ceiling was possible. An irregular property line suggested capturing the view with an angled wing. The geometry is resolved by an octagonal tower between the main mass and the wing that has a breakfast room on the first floor and a den/library on the second. In addressing the confluence of site restriction and desired view, an opportunity arose for spatial and formal invention that is a pleasure to live with and to look at.
Circulation spaces are of critical importance in any house. Here an opening in the floor shows how the stair wraps around the mass of the elevator shaft. The balcony edge above is shaped independently from the stair with chamfered corners to ease circulation flow. An opening that is triangular at the top is the first of three similar openings that shape access to the den/study beyond. A round window creates a bright accent at the end of the hall.
The primary suite has the most dramatic view of all.
It is in a projecting bay at the center of the water-facing façade. The wraparound windows expand the view into a three-direction panorama. A large-scale crown molding transitions the low flat perimeter ceiling to the high shaped ceiling that follows the roof shape above. Fanciful trim mimics the crown and transitions the lower bank of windows to the higher transom windows above. Two dressing rooms and a bathroom complete the suite. The bathroom has high windows, a corner window, and a round window that contribute to great light.
The semi-octagonal bay that projects off the street side of the house accommodates an entry porch below and a guest bedroom above. Five windows, one in each exposed facet of the geometric shape, provide light from three directions and views to the street and a guest house that was existing on the property.
