Text by Lisa Cavanaugh | Photographs by Randall Perry, courtesy of Polhemus Savery DaSilva Architects Builders (PSD)
With hundreds of miles of coastline, thousands of lakes and ponds, and many dozens of rivers, New England offers a delightful variety of waterfronts to live on. Living by the water can be adventurous or serene, secluded or community-focused, restorative or energizing. To live close to (or on) a body of water lends your daily life a different aura.
From beach cottages to grand harborside homes, family cabins on a lake to urban condos with river views, each of our six New England states has an eclectic mix of homes by the water. For our first in a series, we visit an iconic seaside peninsula in Massachusetts: Cape Cod.
Dune House
Design & Construction: Polhemus Savery DaSilva Architects Builders (PSD)
With water views from nearly every window, this newly constructed home at the far end of a Cape Cod beach is separated from the ocean only by sand and dune. The owners and their guests can enjoy gazing at the sea from common areas, bedrooms and baths, and the proximity of the beach means both leisure and activity is close at hand, no matter the season.
“The 3,000 square foot home has big scale that is monumental enough to not be overwhelmed by dramatic context, but not so monumental as to be serious and unfriendly,” says John R. DaSilva, PSD Design Principal. “It is an object in the vast land and seascape but also a sympathetic neighbor to vernacular shingled houses. The top-heavy nature of this umbrella gambrel with huge overhangs gives the front facade a whimsical feeling, with wide flat columns also contributing to the playful nature and unexpected scale of the facade.”
An interior palette of creams and blues is complimented by natural design materials that reflect the expanse of land and sea outside. This combination of indoor relaxation and outdoor majesty gives the home a magical, yet practical, splendor.
