Context
Our client had acquired a very rare piece building lot on Portland’s East End and planned to move across town after building a single-family home on the site. The husband, an accomplished attorney, was excited to take on a new creative project similar to what he had previously accomplished building a wooden sailboat. He taught himself to use SketchUp so he could design right alongside us, and we got to work making their unique vision a reality.
The building site had tight clearances, and we needed to navigate the zoning and legal requirements that came with new construction. We worked closely with the client and the builder to make sure we delivered a home they loved, without compromises.
Response
The home’s living space includes a two-car garage tucked away off the street—a true luxury on the East End—space for guests, and a roof deck that provides front-row access to epic sunrises over Casco Bay and the Eastern Promenade. A steeply pitched roof with tall narrow windows caps off the primary suite on the top floor, with airy views of the historic neighborhood and the nearby oceanfront. The bottom floor includes a guest suite, mudroom, and garage, and a bright living space on the second floor features a beautiful little breakfast nook, perfect for watching the neighborhood kids walk to school. An elevator ensures that the couple will be able to age in place in their home.
The home also features a unique electric storage heating system, a solution the client researched and presented to us as an interesting possibility. A large ceramic block fills with heat, similar to the way a battery charges, providing affordable and efficient night time power through hydronic, or radiant, heating throughout the house.
