Page 61 - Winter_2020

Aerial view of the site.

Photo © Jeff McInturff

The house as seen from the water. Photo © Mark McInturff

Other distinctive architectural features of the
house include a series of zinc-clad rooftop light
monitors—reminiscent of dormers, but emerging from
a flat rather than a sloped roof—that bring controlled
daylight into interior spaces. This serves to balance the
light entering through perimeter windows on bright
days while reducing the need for artificial illumination
on darker days or in the early evening. From a purely
compositional standpoint, the monitors also provide
vertical complements to the insistently horizontal
overhangs above the first and second floors.
Other green features of the house are less obvious.
There is, for instance, a 9,000-gallon cistern system
in the basement that captures rainwater for use in
irrigation. Geothermal wells, which harvest natural
underground heat, support radiant floor heating
throughout the house. Zoned control systems monitor
and optimize energy consumption.
The clients wanted a house that felt natural but
not rustic, and which seemed “settled on the land.”
The exterior materials and colors were selected so as to
ensure that the house would blend in with the wooded
site and appear unobtrusive when viewed from passing
boats. McInturff confirmed this directly by taking a
kayak out on the water and snapping a photo of the
completed house. While by no means invisible from
the water, the house appears quite modest, nestled
comfortably among mature trees.
Photo © Julia Heine

THE CONVERTIBLE HOUSE 59