Checkerboard House

Coast Cottage captures the spirit of old summer houses on the Maine coast, at the same time rugged but refined, understated but well-appointed.

The house responds to the Greek Revival traditions of the neighborhood on the exterior with a wholly unexpected interior.  The house is organized around two courts:  first, an arrival court on the public side, and second, a garden court on the quiet private side.

This house wraps around two levels of courtyards on one side and looks out over salt marshes to the sound on the other. Its deeply insulated 12” thick walls and roof conserve energy, and heat recovery ventilation ensures a constant cycle of fresh air.

Over half the interior of the tiny house is a great lodge hall, extending to the full height of the roof and centered on a massive stone fireplace. Tree trunk porch columns give the entry façade something of the aspect of a primitive shrine.