Siting a new house within the Cape Cod National Seashore required a sensitive approach to create a seamless transition between the new and existing landscape. Visitors park below the house and approach it on a raised wooden boardwalk that passes through a grove of native trees and shrubs. The walk terminates at an entry plaza planted in distinct bands of diverse species that contrast with the naturalistic plantings of the grove and provide multi-seasonal interest.

The boardwalk and several wood platform decks extending from the rear of the house are designed to look as though they hover above the beds of beach grasses, adding to an overall feeling of impermanence. The platform decks conceptually continue the boardwalk through the building and provide uninterrupted panoramas of the Atlantic Ocean and the Pamet River.

Collaborators: Hammer Architects
Images: LJLA