Beach Head

Inspired by years of sending their children to summer camp along the Maine coast, the owners of Beach Head set out to create a legacy home—a multigenerational family hub with a strong coastal connection. After an extensive search, they found a spectacular site in close proximity to the airport, with a vibrant local community (including owners of other homes designed by Whitten Architects) and access to a crescent beach that sweeps below rocky bluffs.

Purchased in March 2020 as the world shut down, the existing mid-century house on the site became the launch point for a highly collaborative design process. Throughout the pandemic, the team—Whitten Architects, Richardson & Associates Landscape Architecture, Heidi Lachapelle Interiors, and Bowley Builders—met regularly with the owners on-site, working closely to overcome many challenges and realize a beautiful, multi-structure home that truly embraces the rugged coastal landscape.

The design required thoughtful manipulation of the steeply sloped site to improve accessibility and create layered indoor-outdoor connections across multiple levels—linking every facet of the home to the surrounding landscape. Using spoils from the excavation, the team raised the northern entry zone approximately seven feet, reducing the number of steps to the front door from eight to two. To the south, the granite patio steps down to meet the outdoor shower, sculpture garden, and paths to the beach on one side, and a swimming pool and hot tub perched atop the bluffs on the other. Whether from the office, the pool, the kitchen counter, the den, the patio, or the Adirondack chairs on the lawn, the owners relish the many ways they can connect with their private stretch of coastline throughout the day, depending on the weather and mood.

To accommodate extended family while preserving a modest architectural scale in keeping with the neighborhood and respectful of the surrounding coastal landscape, the home was conceived as a series of structures. Visitors arrive from the north to a parking area flanked by a three-car garage strategically positioned for added privacy. The freestanding garage incorporates generous guest accommodations tucked into the eaves, including a bunk room, bath, and workout room with a sheltered balcony overlooking the water beyond.

A rough-cut granite wall marks the threshold into the entry garden, guiding visitors through a pergola-covered path to the front door of the central structure that houses shared living spaces. The unassuming, low-profile rooflines and weathered cedar exterior give way to reveal an expansive, light-filled interior anchored by an open-plan kitchen to the east, central dining room, and southwest-facing living room warmed by a large stone-clad fireplace. North-facing clerestory windows balance light across the space, while three large sets of south-facing sliding doors open outward onto a cantilevered sheltered balcony and patio—framing uninterrupted views of the ocean.

To the west, a two-story, split-level wing nestled within the landscape maintains the home's low profile while providing two bedroom suites and an office with a small powder room on the lower level, and a generous guest suite and cozy "up-and-away" room above. Bath and laundry rooms placed between shared and private spaces enhance privacy. West- and south-facing porches offer sweeping oceanfront views at every level.

The single-story east wing connects to the central living spaces via a glazed hallway that crosses the north–south axis between the outdoor kitchen and seaside screened porch. Continuous, flush stone flooring along this axis separates the private primary suite from the shared spaces and unifies the outdoor rooms, blurring the boundary between inside and out. The primary suite features a spa-like bathroom that opens to a private outdoor shower—convenient to the pool and beach beyond. Large double doors in the bedroom frame sunrise views over the water. In summer months, the sound of waves and fresh sea air waft through pocketed screens, creating the feeling of sleeping outdoors.

Heidi Lachapelle Interiors created a relaxed, light-filled interior with a coastal-inspired palette featuring wood-lined walls and ceilings, natural wood flooring and furnishings, and striking stone countertops and fireplace surround that speak to the surrounding landscape. As the sun tracks across the sky, it passes through the primary suite to the east, across the central living areas, and into the western guest spaces—bringing natural light into every corner of the home.

Within the context of the global pandemic, Bowley Builders delivered a high-performance home with a robust and highly efficient envelope. The rooftop solar array powers the home, supporting the owners' long-term goals for a sustainable and resilient family retreat on the coast.


Photography:
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Aaron Leitz

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Collaborators:

Contractor: Bowley Builders

Structural Engineer: Albert Putnam Associates

Landscape Architect: Richardson & Associates

Landscape Installation: Terrapin Landscapes

Interior Designer: Heidi Lachapelle Interiors

Millwork: Block Brothers
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Lighting Design: Reflex Lighting / Heidi Lachapelle Interiors