House in a Meadow

By reclaiming a long-overgrown field, the site was transformed into a meadow. On the highest point stands a gathering of buildings—house, barn, and studio—nestled together to form a dooryard. Contrasting with the broad views of the field and ocean beyond, traditional stone walls surround this outdoor space, whose serenity is mirrored in the layout of the house.

Drawn from the aesthetics of Shaker meetinghouses and Maine grange halls, simplicity, practicality, and celebration of the ordinary prevail. The owners, a retired priest and a practicing artist, sought pure architectural expression, devoid of applied ornament or pretense. The building evolved around this unyielding principle, and found constant inspiration in the natural beauty of the site itself.

General Contractor: John Altman Builders
Structural Engineer: Carpenter Associates
Lighting Design: Peter Knuppel

Photography by Brian Vanden Brink

1999 – Design Excellence Award, AIA New England
1997 – Excellence in Architecture, AIA Maine