Modern Farmhouse

Anchored to the land on a craggy stone foundation, Rocksyde sits perpendicular to the seacoast, addressing the waves below like a ship’s prow. A black and white floating staircase inside is inspired by the horizontal stripes seen in the layers of rock found in a canyon. Southern sunlight filters through the stairway to all three levels of the house.

Orienting the house perpendicular to the slope allows for the separation of the property into a public, arrival side on the North and a private, garden side to the South, both with views of the fields.

Light-hearted and picturesque, Island House distills the essence of its seaside summer community. The dramatic repetition of pointed dormers places paired windows on an angle better to capture the sweeping views to the water.

This small house with a large presence draws from sources far and near: ancient Greek Doric temples, Palladio’s ‘Redentore’ and Villa Barbaro, Peter Harrison’s Redwood Library, Jefferson’s Monticello, Asher Benjamin’s carpenter pattern books, and local Greek Revival building traditions of Concord.