This project called for the house and its adjacent cottage to be nestled into a strip of woods that separates a wildflower meadow from the broad reach of Tisbury Great Pond. The buildings are low-slung. Their ridge lines dip and lift subtly to follow the natural contours of the earth. Views to the pond are filtered through the trees to minimize the impact on the pond’s view shed. A pond front meadow was restored, providing a stunning view corridor to the distant Tisbury shore.
Asian influences are acknowledged, mostly in the roof forms. A more direct stylistic debt is owed, though, to the great lakefront camps of the Adirondacks, with the use of asymmetrical form coupled with local natural materials of cedar shingle and stone, allowing the house to meld with the landscape.
The interiors here are elegant and modern, neither stilted nor prissy. The open plan, expansive windows focused on the pond views, and clean, elegant detailing combine to provide a backdrop to relaxed, comfortable Vineyard living.