LONG BEACH

GLOUCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS

LONG BEACH

GLOUCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS

An expressive new three-story beach house rises dramatically from a coastal bluff and towards the sky to maximize interior views of the Atlantic Ocean, and to preserve as much usable outdoor space as possible. Despite significant programming, the upside-down home makes efficient use of the buildable zone on this small corner lot, just footsteps to Gloucester’s celebrated Long Beach. A thicket of salt, sun, and wind tolerant shrubs, grasses and perennials provides endless multi-seasonal interest on the south side of the site, as linear wood boardwalks give passage through the vibrant textural vegetation swaths. A porous concrete unit-paver driveway drains stormwater and accommodates off-street parking for the homeowners and their guests. The wood-burning fire pit and custom board-formed concrete pizza oven bookend an open lawn area where games of bocce can go into late hours on a warm summer night.

Collaborators: Studio HW, Windover Construction, Leone Landscape Construction, Jane Messinger Photography