Project Title: Woods and Water

Firm: Rachel Conly Design LLC

Submitted for Consideration in: Architecture

Client:

Location: Peaks Island, Maine

Project-At-a-Glance:
'Woods and Water' is a studio created for writing and retreat on an island in Maine. It was designed to thoughtfully integrate with the natural beauty of the surroundings, while also being energy efficient, durable and made of low carbon footprint materials.

Project Narrative:

'Woods and Water' was designed as a writing studio and retreat for a couple who prize early monring hours and the serentiy of the water's edge. The clients were interested in a place that would sit quietly on the land that they love and foster enjoyment of the outdoors. It is a place for creating, sleeping and being.

The 750 square-foot studio is divided into two distinct halves, sharing one roof and woven together by 1000 square-feet of white cedar decking. Sitting on a bluff of spruce and pine overlooking the sea, the structure's minimalist form and material palette create a space for stillness, contemplation, and inspiration. Vertically installed cedar boards line the monolithic western face and are interrupted only by a framed entry view of the horizon. The elevation hugs the ground, resting comfortably in the company of boulders. In contrast, the eastern side of the studio is raised high above grade, opening wide to the ocean and sky with large sliding doors and generous window glazing. The northern half contains a spacious writing studio, the southern half contains sleeping and bathing spaces. The outdoor passageway around and between the two structures celebrates the unique beauty of the site, with places to retreat and places to expand among tree limbs and blue above.

The studio was designed to be carbon conscious and to meet high standards of energy efficiency. The wood-framed building includes materials that were carefully selected for durabiility, beauty and low carbon footprint. The untreated siding, decking and pergola were constructured from locally sawn white cedar. Cabinetry, flooring and wall accents were made of rift-sawn white oak. Other materials include dense-pack cellulose for insulation and air-tight, vapor open membranes for air sealing.

"We feel like we literally have a front-row seat to nature", the couple say.