Boat House |
Photography by Benjamin Benschneider. |
The genesis of this project was a failing retaining wall at the base of a 1970's waterfront house built on a steep slope. The boat house had to be removed for the replacement of the wall so clients asked that the boat house be replaced with a new structure containing additional living space. Water access was not possible because of the shallow water and existing docks so access to the site was limited to a stairway alongside the existing house. All materials had to be hand-carried down the stairs. The project was further complicated by a utility easement on the water-side that limited the footprint of the structure as well as soil conditions that mandated pipe piles to support the retaining wall and structure. The solution is a two story-volume that wraps over the retaining wall providing an entry on the upper floor. A second-story balcony is hung on the side of the structure and can be removed if access to the buried utilities is required. The project includes a PV array on the roof of the existing house and a PV array on the roof of the boat hoist on the dock. The structure has a green roof and a rain-screen exterior. Heating is provided by a gas-fired boiler providing hydronic heating. The general contractor was Toepfer General Contractors. Completed winter 2012. |
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