A weekend retreat for a family in coastal Rhode Island, Quonochontaug House is organized around an open-plan ground floor punctuated by a series of double-height skylit spaces that progress from entry to ocean view. The skylight volumes, which alternate around an axis defined by the pool terrace to the East and the ocean to the West, taper at their apex to the dimension of standard skylights, which provide shifting and ephemeral natural light patterns throughout the day and across seasons and shifts in the weather.
The larger of the volumes, situated over the kitchen and the living room, are provided with two skylights, producing diverging pyramidal forms that add to the unexpected quality of light. The outdoor deck on the ocean side of the house contains its own double-height space that is open to the sky. The second floor is supported by a cluster of plywood-clad volumes on the first floor containing building services. The second floor contains a series of bedrooms distributed around the skylight volumes coming up from the first floor.The master bedroom is surrounded by windows on three sides, with an expansive view of the water.
The exterior of the house is clad in dark-stained cedar battens which create a stark contrast to the light-bathed interior of the house. The depth and shape of the battens contribute to a shimmering dematerialization of the corners. The house, situated on a long narrow lot facing a coastal pond, frames a pool terrace in conjunction with a 2-story garage building with a loft above. The entire composition blends into the site through the expansion of an existing informal English garden complemented by native coastal plantings.
This project won a 2015 National AIA Small Projects Award. Photographs by Jeremy Bittermann