NONQUITT HOUSE

At the edge of Buzzards’ Bay in Massachusetts, the Nonquitt Compound is composed of two projects: a renovation of the family’s historic home and a redesign of the guest cottage. The Big House, which was held up primarily by memories, needed to be completely redone. The owners, environmentalists who hated the idea of adding air conditioning, asked us to use natural ventilation while making the house work for a contemporary family. We reconfigured the plan and fenestration to create a clear path for circulation and air-flow, added a “gill,” and punctured the roof with a belvedere atop a stair tower, to expel heat and draw cooling breezes through the house. We also designed the Guest House, two parts connected by a stone colonnade that creates an outdoor room and defines a common.

Photography Credits: Peter Vanderwarker