Page 62 - ArchDC_Fall 2020

Metropolitan
Metropolitan

Homes
Homes

New Houses Across the Region Offer

Varied Takes on Modern Living

by G. Martin Moeller, Jr., Assoc. AIA

Entry façade of the St. Michaels Retreat with glass “hyphens” separating the wings.

Washingtonian Residential Design Award from the road and from neighboring properties, and discrete
clusters along San Domingo Creek allowing ample views of
St. Michaels Retreat the water.
St. Michaels, MD Although the property is large, the buildable area was
relatively constrained thanks to a 100-foot minimum setback
Jones & Boer Architects from the high-water line, flood zone restrictions, and protected
Landscape Architects: Arentz Landscape Architects root zones around significant trees, not to mention an existing
septic field to one side and an existing tennis court—which
Structural Engineers: Ehlert Bryan Consulting extends beyond the setback line but was grandfathered in—to
Structural Engineers the other. The client’s program included not just the seven-
General Contractor: Horizon Builders
bedroom main house and the tennis court, but also a swimming
pool, a pool shed, a separate garage with property manager’s
The Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay has long been popular quarters above, and an ample auto court to accommodate the
for vacation houses, in part because its sinuous shoreline—an frequent guests and family members who will be occupying
intricate jigsaw puzzle of creeks, inlets, and peninsulas upon all those bedrooms. Not surprisingly, the client also asked that
peninsulas—yields myriad sites that offer both privacy and every room in the house have views of the water.
spectacular views. This “retreat” by Jones & Boer Architects is The basic plan of the house—a central block flanked by two
located at the edge of one such peninsula. The site is surrounded wings linked by narrow “hyphens”—provided the flexibility
by mature trees, including a dense thicket that screens the house
60 METROPOLITAN HOMES