This timeless piece of coastal land had been in the clients’ family for several generations, and when it came time to build on it, they requested something that would fit into Cape Cod’s cultural and historic landscape. Peter Zimmerman Architects gave them a house that’s classically proportioned and simply detailed, a modern version of the turn-of-the-century coastal New England house. Its first-floor living spaces flow out to a western terrace overlooking the ocean, and to a sitting porch on the north that takes in picturesque views of a tidal pond and protected land. Continuous windows, a tone-on-tone material palette, and an unfettered floor plan achieve a sense of transparency and light that makes the interior seem larger than it is.
Exterior walls are clad in red cedar shingles, as is the roof, whose Dutch gambrel form helps keep the house’s scale in check. “It’s a particularly beneficial shape when you’re trying to create bedrooms, which in vacation houses are critical because the owners want to accommodate as many guests as they can,” says Peter Zimmerman, AIA. “The Dutch gambrel gives us the ability to have more space for the second-floor bedrooms while keeping a lower profile. It feels like a one-story house with dormers.” There are four en-suite bedrooms, one on the first floor and three upstairs, including the main bedroom, which opens to a porch.
The firm’s design of a calm, gracious retreat granted the owners’ wish for something that looks iconic when viewed from the water, as though it has always been there.
Citation
Custom Period or Vernacular House
Peter Zimmerman Architects
Bayberry Point
Falmouth, Massachusetts
Project Credits
Architect: Peter Zimmerman, AIA, principal in charge; Richard Pinkerton, RA, Peter Zimmerman Architects, Berwyn, Pennsylvania
Builder: Ralph Cataldo, Cataldo Custom Builders, Falmouth, Massachusetts
Interior Designer: Mary Hastings Interiors, Berwyn, Pennsylvania
Landscape Architect: Dan Solien,
Botanica Fine Gardens, Falmouth
Project Size: 4,969 square feet
Site Size: 15+ acres
Construction Cost: Withheld
Photography: Durston Saylor Photography
Key Products
Ceiling Fans: Big Ass Fans
Cladding: #1 Blue Label red cedar shingles
Cooktop: Thermador
Dishwasher: Asko
Door Hardware: Emtek
Doors/Windows: Andersen
Engineered Lumber: TJI Joists
Faucets: Kohler, Moen
Garage Doors: Saw Mill Creek
HVAC: Hydro-Air Heating & Cooling Systems
Outdoor Grill: Napoleon Prestige
Ovens: Thermador
Refrigerator/Freezer: Sub-Zero
Retractable Screens: Cape Cod Retractable
Sinks: Franke, Elkay
Toilets/Bidets: Kohler
Tub: BainUltra Meridian, Kohler
Underlayment/Sheathing: AdvanTech
Washer/Dryer: Electrolux
Wine Refrigerator: Sub-Zero
Images
Plans and Drawings