Rye Beach Residence
Rye Beach, New Hampshire

Located along the beautiful but harsh coast of New Hampshire, this 2,000 square foot residence features generous, ocean-side living spaces, 4 bedrooms and 3 1/2 baths all within a small footprint on a site with tight setback restrictions.

In order to integrate the use of interior and exterior spaces, the overall design was considered as a composition of overlapping indoor and outdoor ‘rooms.’ To extend the ‘feel’ and use of the interior spaces out to the edges of the small site, a limited palette of oiled wood, waxed concrete and plaster, glass and copper was used both inside and out.

The main living areas of the first floor were conceived as one large room overlooking the ocean. Functions including the daybed, kitchen, pantry, powder room, stair and fireplace wrap and define the main space with yacht-like efficiency. Interior spaces extend out onto covered porches, which extend to open terraces with the beach and ocean beyond.

Interior finishes include recycled fir beams, waxed pigmented plaster walls with oiled fir windows/doors and trim. Traditional materials such as standing seam coated copper roofing and white cedar were combined with unconventional spun-aluminum columns and an aluminum grate sunshade for the common goal of low maintenance and high performance.