Provincetown Residence
Provincetown, Massachusetts
Quick Facts:
Size: 3,000 gsf
Photographer: Jessica Marcotte
Project Team: Horton Lees Brodgen – Lighting Design
Awards:
Design Award of Honor, National Society of American Registered Architects (SARA)
LEED Design
Published, Architectural Digest, “Ravishing Rentals”
Published, Cape Cod Life, “Nautical Elegance in Provincetown”
Published, Builder, “An Ode to the Ocean”
Situated on a coastal dune directly on the waterfront of the Provincetown Harbor, the 3,000-sq-ft wood-frame residence was designed to evoke the historical memory of Provincetown Harbor, whose shorelines once boasted hundreds of piers jutting into the water, through the expression of the wood pier structure of the house. The massing on the second floor is set back reminiscent of the industrial fish and storage sheds that sat on top of the piers. The materials are predominately wood and copper sheet metal with stainless steel cables and couplings that are detailed with a nod toward the boat building industry that so dominated the fishing village at the turn of the century.
Elevated 3’ above grade, the pier structure, much like its precedent, allows tidal surges, windblown sand, and natural vegetation to migrate under and around the house without disturbing the natural ebb and flow of these systems. An elevated boardwalk provides access to the beach across the beach grass barrier to the ocean. With the lower floors supported by round 15” wood piers, the structure is connected at the top with a collar tie providing a uniform line around the building. The piers are further stabilized with industrial stainless rod cross bracing.
The Provincetown Residence also boasts numerous environmental attributes. The south façade is predominantly glass and capitalizing on the passive solar gains in the winter while shaded by the second story sunshade in the summer. Additional energy conservation design considerations include natural daylighting and natural ventilation.