Project Title: Binnacle Hill Residence

Firm: Whitten Architects

Submitted for Consideration in: Architecture, Landscape, Interiors

Client: Bowley Family

Location: Kennebunkport, Maine

Project-At-a-Glance:
When our-go-to local contractor was ready to build his forever family home, we were honored to be a part of his chosen design team. The house was strategically sited atop a rocky outcrop. Carefully chosen materials and the three-sided courtyard configuration connect seamlessly with the surrounding, unique wooded-heathland landscape.

Project Narrative:

We were delighted to be invited to design this family home for a local Contractor, with whom we have collaborated on countless projects over the years. To accommodate their growing young family, we were asked to incorporate a spacious but contained playroom, playful childrens’ rooms, a private primary suite, indoor/outdoor living spaces, large garage, and ample storage. 

The site lies within a wooded neighborhood near coastal Maine, where graceful drives wind their way through rocky, wooded heathland. Together with the client and landscape architect, we identified a high, ledge outcropping as the point-of-entry. Our site-specific-design angled the house just east of south for ideal solar exposure. The central courtyard-like plan features a garage wing and a bedroom wing connected by primary living spaces. Ample glazing surrounds the north-facing courtyard where ferns and woodlands meet the house. Primary living spaces open toward the south-facing sunny lawn for supervised child play.  A wooded buffer conceals the driveway from the house. 

A master of his craft, our Client worked closely with the design team to seamlessly connect the landscape with the interiors.  A screened porch adjacent to the living room expands the living space and connects the outdoors. The subtle, deep green-tinted concrete flooring through the main living spaces reflects the surrounding woodland. Natural ledge and native planting connect with the house near the entry and north-facing courtyard. 

We needed to protect the large south-facing door systems from harsh weather, while allowing easy access to the landscape. A deep exterior soffit wraps down to become a porch and terminates at the screened-porch. The large soffit to the south provides shade in summer months and passive solar gain in winter. 

Low-maintenance materials appropriate for a wooded site include a mix of durable white-painted and treated pine siding with mahogany elements, and a metal roof.