Rotunda House

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.

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.

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.

This house draws on many sources, from the American Shingle Style to Japanese pavilions, to Frank Lloyd Wright, and unites them into something new. A Gothic entry arcade extends forty feet out from the house in a welcoming ceremonial gesture for the modest vacation house.