The original home from 1907 relied on a field stone foundation and rough-cut wood framed walls to support the weight of the building. Since there were no beams or columns to speak of, each space was separated by a load bearing wall, limiting the spatial flow through the interior. Our first move was to replace these loadbearing walls with LVL beams in order to create a more open floor plan. Additionally, the structural columns supporting the existing entry deck, porch, and back deck were discovered to be undersized and in disrepair. Capitalizing on the necessity of replacing them, the new design expanded both decks and opened up the porch significantly.

Enjoying the dramatic change of seasons from the outdoors is one of the most delightful experiences we all share as New Englanders. Though many of us chase this beauty from the magnificent peaks of the White Mountains of the rocky coasts of Maine, curating glimpses of this connection to the outdoors from one’s own home is of vital importance to our own health and wellbeing. To capture this notion, the proposal sought to  bridge interior and exterior by means of a screened porch and two flanking exterior decks. A three-season screen system includes clear vinyl panels that can be installed over a traditional insect screen to block the wind during colder months, granting usability to the spaces even when the temperatures drop. Combined with a full glass patio door and sliding window, this multiuse space is an extension of the interior, and a transitional space to the full exposure of the exterior decks.