Southwest Harbor Carriage House
The project involved the creation of a tiny guest cottage with a small garage for year-round use. The steep and rocky site dictated the placement of the garage nestled into the ledge, with the guest cottage on top.
Project Details
Location:
Southwest Harbor, Maine
Structural Architects:
Eric Sokol, Will Winkelman
Builder:
John Dargis
Photography:
Jeff Roberts
Recognition
Project Requirements
The program for this tiny guest cottage was to create a comfortable and private quarters for guests, as well as a small garage for the owners to use year round.
The Site
The steep and rocky site dictated that the garage be nestled into the ledge, and the guest cottage on top. To prevent the building from appearing too tall or imposing, care was taken to push it down as low as possible, integrating it into the ground. The massive bouldered walls at the back of the cottage emphasize this connection to the site.
Design Concepts
To prevent the building from appearing too tall or imposing, care was taken to push it down as low as possible, integrating it into the ground. The massive bouldered walls at the back of the cottage emphasize this connection to the site. The owner is an avid sailor, and so the inside of the cottage was inspired by the highly crafted cabins of boats.
The Results
The small space was arranged most efficiently by using built-in seating and custom casework for storage. The result is a highly crafted composition that is warm and comfortable, and celebrates the incredible skills of all of the artisans who worked on it.
