Context
Close to the boat yards on the Thomaston waterfront, the Sail Lofts occupy the site of a former 1800s-era, timber-framed sail loft that had been converted into a small apartment complex. A fire in October of 2011 destroyed the original building, but a new high-performance structure rose from ashes.
Response
The three-story, nine-unit building offers a mix of one- and two-bedroom apartments with sheltered outdoor deck space. Replicas of each of the two unit typologies are identical, imparting both cost savings and streamlining construction time. An efficient rectangular footprint and simple interior layouts further expedited both the design and build processes, allowing the project to satisfy the owners’ quick 6-month deadline for redeveloping the site.
The Sail Lofts were the first large-scale multifamily project in Maine to achieve Net Zero Energy and among just six completed Net Zero developments in the country at the time of construction. An air-sealed envelope with 12-inch-thick double-stud walls protects against coastal winds, while durable cedar shingles and fiber cement
exterior cladding weather seaside seasons with little to no required maintenance. A rooftop solar array powers efficient air source heat pumps and hot water heaters without the use of fossil fuels.
