Tidehead Woods House

A family with a deep love for nature invited us to bring their dream of a home in coastal Maine to life. They envisioned a place where generations of their family could come together, connect with the outdoors, and create lasting memories.

The master plan is a family campus featuring a home for gathering, three "sibling” retreats, a boathouse, and a dock. We designed these structures to inherit select architectural traits from the DNA of the main house, creating a cohesive environment. Working in collaboration with the landscape architect and civil engineer, we created a composition for each of these structures to live both as a family and independently.

This design revolves around the concept of coexistence with nature, catering to clients who lead an active outdoor lifestyle. The design aims to blur the interior spaces and the surrounding natural landscape, embracing the site.

This single-story home celebrates the beauty of the woods from every vantage point. The design utilizes large floor-to-ceiling windows, expansive glass walls, and an open-plan layout to maximize views and natural light, linking back to the glass porch language of the main house. When possible, hidden window frames were used to add to the feeling of living in nature.

A transparent entry/mudroom welcomes guests as they approach. The storage was intentionally placed central to this space, breaking up sight lines between the public and private sides of the house. A pocketing door between the living room and the screened porch lets you feel both inside and out. Service spaces, storage, and utilities line the northern edges of the house allowing the view to remain unencumbered. The spaces are designed to be flexible enough to entertain a group, or for solitary moments of tranquility.

Our clients' desired a home that blends with the coastal Maine landscape, aging gracefully with minimal maintenance. Landscape architects Sarah Witte and Keith Smith selected local granite and native plants. We selected natural and durable materials, like thermally modified ash siding, local Eastern white cedar shingles, and galvanized steel columns that will become more complementary with each other and with the landscape over time. For the interiors, Heidi Lachapelle Interiors selected materials, fabrics, and colors that invite a connection to the landscape. Wright-Ryan Homes applied a high level of craftsmanship to bring all these elements together.

This home embraces site-specific design principles, creating a living environment that celebrates the beauty of nature. The interior spaces are designed to allow seamless transitions between indoor and outdoor activities. The buildings utilize high-performance systems, resilient materials, and was designed to serve the needs of a family for generations to come.
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Photography:
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Trent Bell Photography
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Collaborators:

Builder: Wright-Ryan Homes

Interior Designer: Heidi Lachapelle Interiors 

Structural Engineer: Albert Putnam Associates

Landscape Architecture: Sarah Witte, Landscape Architect and Keith Smith Landscape Architecture

Landscape Installation: Stoney Brook Landscape and Masonry

Outdoor Kitchen Masonry: Stoney Brook Landscape and Masonry

Metal Work: Italian Green Design

Cabinetwork: Northe Woodworking

Lighting: AVDG Lighting