Living on the Edge
The approach to Edge House, a walk through verdant woodland abundant with ferns and moss, is a lesson in arrival. What appears is a woodsy yet contemporary dwelling divided into two volumes, framing an ocean view. Located on an island off the midcoast, Edge House is a low-slung cabin that hugs the rocky shore. The client commissioned Charles Rose Architects to design a simple cottage retreat that could take full advantage of the view, while also remaining inconspicuously nestled in the trees. The solution was a simple wood-shingled structure that features large glass windows, connecting both structure and inhabitant to the site. From the water’s edge, only a few hundred yards away, the house is barely visible. The selection of contextual materials, specifically cedar shingles, was meant to embed the structure in the landscape. For the interior, bedrooms are purposefully small, and beds were positioned close to the full-height windows, allowing occupants to immerse themselves in the view. Clerestory windows under the roof further amplify the quality of natural light and create a weightless effect on the roof from the outside. The stone fireplace, located in the living room, was crafted with stones gathered from the site as another way to bring the outdoors inside.

Architect: Charles Rose Architects
Structural Engineer: RSE Associates
Photography: John Linden
Location: Midcoast
Completed: 2017

The Getaway
This 4,000-square-foot main house is perched on the rocky coast and is opened up to incredible views of the water with a 24-foot sliding pocket door that disappears into the wall. The great room is the center of the house, with high ceilings, a 20-foot kitchen island, and a dining room table fit for a crowd. The wraparound deck leads to a two-story screened porch featuring a polished, stainless-steel spiral staircase leading up to a sleeping porch on the second floor. The guest bedroom also opens to a roof deck. The interior design, finishes, and fixtures by Bradley Bowden create a unique house that is perfectly tailored to the homeowner’s family. The Getaway enjoys a well-insulated envelope and a geothermal HVAC system. Although large windows face west, sunshades and special glazing help to reduce glare and heat gain. A subtle palette of colors on the exterior settles the house into the landscape as it rises out of the ledge.

Architect: David Matero Architecture
Builder: Oceanside Builders
Interior Designer: Bradley Bowden
Structural Engineer: Casco Bay Engineering
Photography: Jeff Roberts
Location: Coastal
Completed: 2019

House on a Cove

Located on a small island off the coast of Maine, this house is inspired by shingled smokehouses that were once fairly pervasive in the area, a remnant of the region’s fishing heritage. The site features a spectacular, south-facing rocky cove with ruins of an old garden that had a robust, anchoring presence. Challenges included neighboring cottages very close to the building site and severe northeasterly winter winds. The exterior of the house developed as a taut skin using traditional shingles and high-performance custom windows. The interior consists of a palette of a limited number of strong materials with definitive characters, but with an over-all goal of quiet integration. To take advantage of the rocky shoreline and ocean vista, the house was bent around a point in space centered in the garden. This allows the house to take advantage of sun and views from all rooms in the house, while turning a protective back on encroaching neighbors and weather. This culminates at the south gable end with the living room stacked below the owners’ bedroom. There the sea is present on two sides, and the permeability of the house to both the salt air and ocean view fosters the impression of a screened porch on the water.

Architect: Elliott + Elliott Architecture
Project Manager: Atlantic Engineering
General Contractor: Samhill Enterprises
Structural Engineer: Becker Structural Engineers
Landscape Designer: Islescapes Garden Concepts
Lighting Designer: Peter Knuppel Lighting Design
Photography: Shoshannah White; Tonee Harbert
Location: Coastal

Cyclical Design at Spruce Pines

Architecture is deeply rooted in relationships. On the rocky coast of Maine, the architectural relationship is inescapably with Mother Nature. By working with the teachings of the Passive House standards, this house uses as little energy as possible to create a comfortable and protected environment for the owners to live in. The space is designed to be emotionally inspiring to promote healthy living.

The original form started by creating circles within a square. The square minimizes the envelope to the volume and represents balance. As circles have no ends, their design, like nature, echoes endless cycles.

The goal was to create a sustainable structure with south-facing windows for the best passive solar gain. The owner asked that the design take advantage of the sunset views in the west. Fortunately, the site is on a protruding bit of coast that faces the southwest—by repeating the circle from the centerline of the south wall to the centerline of the west wall, the shape of the house mimics the landscape, capturing the best views and softening the visual division of interior and exterior. The concentric circles keep drawing one’s awareness out to the view while letting the light and beauty of the location back in.

With its combination of cedar shingles, timber framing, and stone work, the overall rectangular form is in keeping with traditional Maine coastal architecture. The use of wood and stone allows the structure to blend with the landscape. In this way the design hopes to encourage the cyclical relationships of time, place, and people.

Architectural Designer: Four Winds
General Contractor: Rick & Deb Smith
Building Panels: Ecocor
Finish Carpentry: Steve Swanson
Framing: Mike Smiley Timber Frames
Photography: Meredith Randolph
Location: Mount Desert Island
Completed: 2019

Boody-Johnson House
The Boody-Johnson House has been an important historic contributor to both the Bowdoin College campus and its adjacent neighborhood. Originally designed by Gervais Wheeler and built in 1849, the property has served many uses; most recently it held academic department offices. It is a striking example of Gothic Revival architecture that Wheeler designed as the “English Cottage” for Henry Boody, a Bowdoin faculty member. Its conversion into a 26-bed dormitory required sensitively inserting modern-day systems and amenities that would meet students’ both needs and building codes while preserving the architecturally significant features.

Through the renovation and restoration, new uses have been introduced into historic spaces. Student bedrooms now occupy former parlors where the existing millwork details have been retained. Common lounge areas create cozy gathering opportunities in a portion of the house known as the Chase Barn, a 1920s-era addition. Providing accessibility to the second floor was accomplished by constructing a lift within the constraints of the existing roof structure in order to maintain the building’s forms and proportions.

During the design process, a paint analysis revealed that the Boody-Johnson house had three different exterior color schemes during its history. The renovation included restoring one of the more visually bold palettes, which complements the period’s architecture and reestablished the building’s prominence along Brunswick’s Maine Street.

Architect: Harriman
Principal-in-Charge: Mark Lee
Senior Architect, Project Manager: Sharon Ames
Architectural Designers: Melissa Metivier & Kathryn Austin
Construction Manager: Zachau Construction
Electrical Designers: David Hunt & Paul Noble
Mechanical Designer: Michael Morrissette
Mechanical Engineer: Jeffrey Lapierre
Structural Engineer: Amanda Jandreau
Plumbing & Fire Protection Designer: Richard Marchessault
Photography: Carol Liscovitz
Location: Brunswick
Completed: 2019

Seal Ledge Guest House
Located on the shore of Somes Sound near Northeast Harbor, this 736-square-foot summer guesthouse is a supporting act to the midcentury modern main house located on the same property that was built by the client’s mother in 1966.

The house boasts two screened porches—one for sleeping, one for dining—and a large deck just 75 feet from the water. On warm summer days, sliding glass doors can be opened to capture a cooling sea breeze. A colonnade of windows on the south and west elevations admit copious amounts of filtered daylight and expansive views to the sound, including seals sunning themselves on nearby ledges, lending the property its name, “Seal Ledge.” All interior materials and finishes are natural wood and were inspired by the existing main house.

In spite of their relatively close proximity, the design mandate was to allow simultaneous occupancy of both houses without impacting the residents of either building. The building is sited in the woods among large pine and oak trees and is well shielded from the main house. A helical screw pile foundation was employed to minimize tree-root disturbance. Sounds emanating from an adjacent babbling brook provide a sense of calm through-out the house. Access is by footpath only.

Architect: John Gordon Architect
Photography: John Gordon
Location: Mount Desert Island
Completed: 2019

Rockbound Park
The clients wanted a modest, low-maintenance, and net-zero home for retiring in ease and comfort. The design process had already begun when the unexpected happened: one of the clients received a diagnosis of throat cancer, followed by surgery and (thankfully) recovery. This came with future living requirements, including a need to constantly keep their house at 30 percent humidity.

The top priority was to design efficiently, but in a way that would meet the clients’ new requirements. A resilient, 16-inch deep section was developed with a vapor barrier placed mid-wall, virtually uninterrupted behind all services, to ensure that the levels of interior humidity won’t cause rot within the assembly. Some windows were placed on the inner and some on the outer sides of the wall. The deeply inset windows provide their own shade, while windows flush with the exterior make space for deep sills and an integral wraparound window seat in the living room.

From the street it isn’t immediately apparent that a vibrant, light-filled space emerges anywhere within the unassuming cedar shed, much less the detached studio down the hill. The simplicity of two opposing roof planes allows a single, oversized dormer to distinguish itself, the first hint of which is revealed only after walking into the space.

The sloping nature of the land afforded the opportunity to float the back part of the house on board-formed concrete piers, which pay homage to the prevalent foundations on the island. Three outdoor seating areas allow distinctly different experiences of privacy and sun, as well as views into the adjacent woods and protected meadow. A 6.7-kilowatt solar array provides all the capacity needed for its two residents to achieve net-zero energy in this exceptionally airtight house (0.33 ACH50) approaching Passive House standards (5.14 kBTU/sf/yr).

Architect: Kaplan Thompson Architects
Builder: Thompson Johnson Woodworks
Engineers: Casco Bay Engineering; Ripcord Engineering
Landscape: Callahan & LeBleu
Photography: Irvin Serrano
Location: Peaks Island
Completed: 2018

Downeast Cottage
This once seasonal camp is now a year-round, high-performance cottage on the shores of Big Lake. The existing one-story camp originally had knotty pine interior walls throughout, reminiscent of many lakeside camps around Maine. The renovation goals were to maximize the view to the lake, tighten up and insulate the camp for year-round comfort, and brighten and create an open floor plan. The footprint of the existing camp and the existing exterior walls were preserved, but the roof, the interior walls, and all the interior wall surfaces were removed. They were replaced with a new foundation and a new roof structure, which created a cathedral ceiling with white tongue-and-groove V-match as well as timber scissor trusses to create an open volume. All the interior walls were covered with white shiplap. The new Loewen triple-glazed windows have Douglas fir on the interior, tying in nicely to the Douglas fir trusses above. The goal on the exterior was to make the cottage blend in with the wooded shoreline and the surrounding camps. This was done with brown Maibec cedar shingles called “Hematite.” The new heating and cooling system comprises of mini-split heat pumps and an energy-recovery ventilator to make sure the house gets the air exchanges it needs, as it is a much tighter cottage now. After a year of use, the clients have found that the temperature stays around 50 degrees through the coldest months of the year without any heat because of the natural solar gain throughout the sunny winter days.

Architect: Kevin Browne Architecture
Builder: Allen H. Clarke Construction
Interior Designers: Lori Millner & Patti Cannady
Landscape Architects: Glenn & Lori Millner
Engineer: Structural Integrity Consulting Engineers
Lighting Fixtures: Fogg Lighting
Photography: Jonathan Reece
Location: Grand Lake Stream
Completed: 2018

Stoneview Barn
Over the past century, the Stoneview Barn has served many different functions, including a workshop, storage area, and, near the turn of the twentieth century, a place to hold local town dances. This rich historical back-ground convinced the clients early on to save the old building. A structural analysis yielded a different recommendation: renovation would be cost prohibitive due to the very poor structural integrity of the balloon-framed structure. The architecture team’s recommendation was further guided by their ultimate vision for the barn: one end wall, from floor to gable, would be removed and replaced with a glass curtain wall.

After weighing their options, the owners of this 58-acre farm decided to move forward with salvaging the original structure. The team engineered a new skeletal support system with custom Douglas fir glulam (glue-laminated timber) beams and roof trusses delicately installed through the existing framing to bolster up the spindly floor and roof members. The same glulam beams were cantilevered through the existing facade to create a deck that hangs in space, with no visual supports. This deck, along with the massive glulam curtain wall system installed at one end of the reconstructed gable, allows for spectacular views while ascending the stair constructed of steel and reclaimed white oak.

Today, the renovated Stoneview Barn remains a workshop and storage area on the first floor, with an entertaining space above. Exposed ductwork and galvanized light fixtures anchor the first floor in its workshop roots, whereas the second floor has contemporary furnishings and light fixtures mixed with an assortment of reclaimed and refurbished furniture and millwork, pushing the contrast between old and new. Building on the barn’s rich heritage of past uses, the new owners’ plan to add to its vibrant history with friends and family for years to come.

Architect: Knickerbocker Group
Project Architect: Julien Jalbert
Project Team: Stephen Malcom, Rick Nelson & Chloe Kregling
General Contractor & Interior Designer: Knickerbocker Group
Landscape Architect: Carson Douglas Landscape Architecture
Landscape Contractor: Back Meadow Farm
Mechanical Engineer: Ripcord Engineering
Structural Engineer: Becker Structural Engineers
Photography: Darren Setlow
Location: Midcoast
Completed: 2018

Innovation Hall
Innovation Hall is the former Armory on Stevens Avenue, at the edge of the Portland campus of the University of New England (UNE). It is a 66,000-square-foot brick masonry structure that underwent a major restoration and reconstruction. The interior of the building was completely renovated in order to fit the program, which houses an expansion of UNE’s Medical Simulation Center as well as UNE’s Online Worldwide Learning (OWL) offices and provides a variety of conference, work, and event spaces for students, faculty, and the public.

The first floor houses five medical simulation pods that employ technology to train doctors, nurses, dentists, and other medical professionals. The building includes three large classrooms: two for 75 students and one for 150 students. These are set up for flexible, collaborative teaching and are equipped with technology for twenty-first-century learning. There is a 6,000-square-foot function room, as well as a “pre-function” room that houses small group learning spaces to foster chance encounters and student collaboration while providing private meeting and learning spaces. The second floor houses OWL offices.

The exterior masonry was restored, and new windows and a new roof were installed. The exterior building envelope was insulated with spray foam. The building was also connected to UNE’s central steam plant as part of the project. The renovation included the installation of a new electrical service and distribution throughout the building. A new lighting control system was also installed. Integration with the audiovisual systems of the building was required in order to provide a high-performance function hall and install support infrastructure for the Medical Simulation Center. Each simulation pod includes audiovisual, network infrastructure, live-stream cameras, and displays.

Architect & Engineer: Oak Point Associates
Contractor: Ledgewood Construction
Principal-in-Charge: Robert C. Tillotson
Project Architect: Tyler Barter
Interior Designer: Sarah Smith
Civil Engineer: Jonah DeWaters
Electrical Engineer: Dale Lincoln
Fire Protection Engineer: Laura Clebak
Mechanical Engineer: Matthew Albert
Structural Engineer: David Martin
Lighting Designer: Matthew Lafond
Medical Simulation Consultant: CO Architects
Photography: Randy Williams
Location: Portland
Completed: 2017

Shingle-Style Cottage on Muscongus Bay
The owners’ desire was to create a low-profile roofline that doesn’t block the views from a guest-house they previously built on this breathtaking ocean-edge site. In order to meet this criterion, the architects designed the building to be set into the metamorphic bedrock. Dual low-profile gables are supported by shingle-style posts on flared bases that step gracefully down the site and are grounded by stone veneer to blend into their surroundings.

Lower-level guest bedrooms, a screen room, and the family room look through the open-arched cedar covered terrace to an outdoor fire pit and extensive terracing to enjoy the views and exterior spaces. The homeowners enjoy lobster bakes on the ledge shore-line and spectacular views to Monhegan and Allen Islands. The goal was to create an inviting walk-out lower level and facade with a layering effect that would soften the transition from the harsh ragged ledge to the interior spaces, allowing scenery and light to enter. The arches and porches wrap the corners of the building to allow light and space, and to help blur the lines between indoor and outdoor. A protected, recessed deck area between the dual gables was designed at the first floor to help block severe winds while allowing the owners to enjoy the sun and views. In addition to solving site-related concerns and height restrictions, the goal was to design a building with shingle-style charm updated with modern features. A detailed example includes a cable railing fastened into flared shingled bases, allowing views through the deck railing system.

While the exterior materials selections were contextually driven, the interior spaces and overall building form were designed with an open concept and cathedral ceilings to optimize the sense of space and openness. Additionally, the spaces orient around a two-story stone fireplace in the great room, as well as an open, U-shape central stair leading to the lower family and guest level for an inviting transition. As this is their second home, the owners appreciate the use of low-maintenance materials without compromising on style, through the implementation of stone at the lower level, metal roofing, Zuri decking, and cedar shingle siding, which will allow this cottage to serve as a relaxing get away for many years.

Architect: Phelps Architects
General Contractor: Williamson Fine Homes
Excavation & Landscaping: Hanley Construction
Electrical: Achorn’s Electric
Insulation: Quantum Insulators
Masonry: Paul Belcher
Millwork: Eric Neilson
Plumbing & Heating: Clearwater Plumbing & Heating
Photography: Jonathan Reece
Location: Bristol
Completed: 2019

Hancock Lumber Headquarters
Established in 1848, Hancock Lumber is a sixth-generation family-owned business operating a land company, a sawmill division, a network of retail lumberyards, and home design showrooms across Maine and New Hampshire. As their business has grown, they approached Scott Simons Architects with a desire to build a new, more efficient office building near their existing sawmill in Casco that incorporates their company history and culture, provides a modern working environment, and is sustainable and energy efficient.

Inspired by the simple vernacular forms of sawmill buildings, the design was developed to connect with the context and resonate with the unique location. The design of the two-story building includes a central space open to both floors, and a variety of private and open offices, breakout rooms, and conference rooms, allowing opportunities for both collaboration and privacy. The large upper-floor conference room has a stone fireplace and a custom round table with views to the sawmill across the road. The terrace off the breakroom has views to Hancock’s forest preserve and access to the local trail network.

The project has provided an opportunity to update Hancock’s offices, highlight their products, and create a building shaped by the connection between Maine’s timberlands and lumber products industry. The story of the site and Hancock’s history is told through the views, connections, and materials that form this new facility.

Architect: Scott Simons Architects
Project Team: Scott Simons & Ryan Kanteres
Project Architect: Ryan Kanteres
Project Manager: Adam Wiles-Rosell
Construction: Zachau Construction
Civil Engineerings: Sebago Technics
Structural Engineers: Thornton Thomasetti & Becker Structural Engineers
Landscape Designer: Ted Carter Inspired Landscapes
Photography: Ryan Bent Photography
Location: Casco
Completed: 2019

WEX Global Headquarters
When designing the new global headquarters for WEX, a leading supplier of financial technology solutions, employee wellness was top of mind. The company’s goal: create a collaborative, welcoming environment for 400 employees on Portland’s water-front. Incorporating principles of the WELL Building Standard—a performance-based system for measuring, certifying, and monitoring building features that impact human health and wellbeing—SMRT designed an open, tech-enabled workplace focused on keeping employees healthy, happy, and productive. Flooded with natural light and waterfront or cityside views, the contemporary work environment offers flexible work areas, encouraging opportunities to connect and collaborate, or to facilitate heads-down focus. Breakout spaces, large gathering areas, conference spaces, and a 20,000-square-foot rooftop deck provide ultimate flexibility. A large saltwater fish tank brings nature indoors, delivering an opportunity to reduce stress.

Interior Planning, Design & Architecture: SMRT
Exterior Planning & Architecture: Archetype Architects
Construction Manager: Cianbro
Design-Build Contractors: E.S. Boulos Company; Johnson & Jordan; Windham
Millwork
Photography: Trent Bell
Location: Portland
Completed: 2019

Tidewatch
The town of Harpswell boasts 216 miles of coast-line, three major islands connected by bridges, and more than 200 smaller islands. One of the larger islands, Bailey Island, is where the clients would come year after year from New Jersey to visit their seasonal family cottage. With many fond memories of summers spent in Maine, they decided to purchase a home in Harpswell close to their family cottage to make their full-time residence.

The home is in a neighborhood that provides shared boat access and cove views. The classic four-square contemporary split-level featured an octagonal center skylight with sweeping tidal views. Though the architects were compelled by the uniqueness of the home’s character, its roof structure had failed. Whitten Architects explored saving the home, but with the clients’ lifestyle requirements and a need for anticipating costs with limited variables, they decided to take advantage of the opportunities new construction presented.

The architects worked within a limited buildable area due to increased setbacks required by the neighborhood covenants and a bluff condition at the water’s edge. The angles of the structures are representative of the property restrictions.

Taking a cue from the prior home’s site response, one enters at midlevel so that the main level, with its spectacular views, is only half a flight of stairs away from the garage and formal entry. The primary living area at level two makes use of the mono-slope roof system with high-volume space. Making the most of a restricted property to meet the lifestyle needs of clients is a common challenge, one exemplified by this project.

Architect: Whitten Architects
General Contractor: Thorner Building Corp.
Millwork: Seth Helie Designs
Structural Engineer: Albert Putnam Associates
Window Coverings: Jan Robinson Interiors
Photography: Jeff Roberts
Location: Harpswell
Completed: 2017

ReVision Energy
ReVision Energy approached the Barrett Made team with a proposition for a design-build collaboration to a renovate a 27,000-square-foot building for their new headquarters in South Portland. The program challenged the design team to renovate an existing nine-teenth-century barn, farmhouse, and several warehouses for the consolidation of ReVision Energy’s various departments, which had previously been spread out in several buildings throughout the Port-land area.

For decades previously, the interconnected cluster of buildings housed part of a large packaging design and manufacturing company. The design intent was to renovate the outdated office spaces and warehouse operations hub while creating a feature space for the sales office and a client conference area inside of the existing post-and-beam barn that once stored hundreds of packaging molds. As much of the existing barn as possible was left intact and exposed to create dramatic lofted spaces that visually connect the sales floor to the level below. A new concrete slab was poured to replace the existing wood floor; it was polished in place to complement the industrial feel of the structural steel interventions that were required to shore up the existing wooden framing elements in strategic areas, which provide proper structural support of the newly insulated roof above. Structural insulated panels were used above the existing patinized wood roof to preserve the historic look and feel of the existing ceiling on the interior of the barn. In addition, the panels provide further structural integrity for the barn’s existing frame, which houses a large solar array on the exterior, and creates a robust thermal envelope for the newly tempered interior space.

The Barrett Made team provided full architectural, interior design, and construction services while collaborating with select design-build subcontractors to provide an end product that takes full advantage of the interesting quality of the space previously used for light and heavy manufacturing, warehouses, and a pig farm.

Architect & Builder: Barrett Made
Solar & Mechanical Engineer: ReVision Energy
Structural Engineer: Price Structural Engineers
Photography: Erin Little
Location: South Portland
Completed: 2019

Jose Block
The owners, 80 Exchange LLC, sought to perform a historic renovation of the Jose Block, converting the Class C and B office spaces of the upper floors into Class A space in the heart of the Old Port. The owners wished to bring back this once handsome building and restore its place in the urban fabric as a good neighbor and a leader in community development. Briburn led a team of design professionals in this endeavor and partnered with Warren Construction to execute the renovation.

The exterior facade of the building was renovated, and the street-level storefront restored. The entrance, lobby, and common spaces were renovated to create a more welcoming and modern tone. A new dormer was added to the south roof, allowing the fourth floor to be expanded and filled with light. The existing truss structure of the fourth floor was sanded and sealed and celebrated as a character-defining feature. The third floor was completely opened up. Partitions were removed, and the eight-foot ceiling was expanded to 14 feet, thus restoring the level to a more open and dramatic space. A mechanical mezzanine was added to house a highly sophisticated and efficient chilled beam system to provide cooling and ventilation. The existing hydronic system was modified to a modern zoned system with hydronic panels. The windows were replaced with more efficient yet historically appropriate double-hung windows. The building’s exterior was insulated and sealed, the building’s structure was reinforced, and the floors were leveled. New finishes were installed throughout with energy-efficient lighting. The trompe l’oeil mural on the wall that faced Tommy’s Park was deteriorating, and the wall beneath was in need of restoration. The wall was restored, and a commission was established to seek public art submissions; a new mural was designed and installed by artist Will Sears.

The Jose Block has been transformed from a building that was negatively modified over the last five decades into one that has leveraged its historic character, integrated modern technologies, and been given new life for many decades more while enhancing the urban streetscape and its community.

Architect: Briburn
Builder: Warren Construction Group
Photography: Irvin Serrano
Location: Portland
Completed: 2019

Ship Locks
After searching the Kennebunk area for years, two Midwest executives with grown children finally found a piece of land they loved and jumped at the opportunity to uproot themselves and retire to Maine. They wanted a classic cottage that feels deeply connected to the surroundings, with familiar forms that feel natural in expression. Due to setbacks, wetland regulations, and subdivision requirements, the parcel they finally settled on was challenging. The most substantial challenge began well before the design or build, in finding any single solution that would allow for a 2,500-square-foot home and two-car garage. With close communication and collaboration, a solution—striking in its simplicity—was found. Everything was designed to high-light visible materials, joinery, and details, while creating experiences that invite the outside in. Classic elements such as exposed hemlock beams, cedar siding, and a shingled roof were met with more unexpected details such as exposed pegs, decorative posts, and pops of color throughout. Every room of the home has a close connection to the outside world, with an intentional mix of unobstructed sight lines, porches, and covered walkways. What started as a single build solution became an expansive, self-aware celebration of place.

Architect: Caleb Johnson Studio
General Contractor & Millwork: Woodhull of Maine
Project Manager: Leon Genre
Electrical: Energize ME
Mechanical Systems: Jim Godbout Plumbing & Heating
Photography: Trent Bell
Location: Kennebunk
Completed: 2018

Maine Plastic Surgery Center
The design of this boutique plastic surgery and spa practice balanced the client’s desire for a high-end aesthetic with the functional demands of a clinically based business. Maine Plastic Surgery had outgrown its former location within the city. The new 5,000-square-foot space in the Stroudwater area responds to a diverse clientele by creating an exceptional patient experience focused on respect, privacy, and comfort.

The client’s program was divided into three distinct areas that became the main drivers for the layout of the space, while the need for privacy and discretion greatly influenced the flow of circulation. From the elevator lobby there are two patient entry points at opposite ends that separate and distinguish the surgical and spa functions of the practice.

The design team pursued an approach that has the look and feel of an upscale plastic surgery practice. The interiors had to be on par with other high-end practices across the country while still maintaining Portland’s regional sense of place. The aesthetic is modern industrial with materials that create a highly refined, elegant interior using bold, modern silhouettes. Maine’s gray rocky coast, weathered wood, and shimmering water along its coastal edge became the project’s inspiration. A rich mix of sharply contrasting interior finishes include blackened steel, white quartz, patterned glass, and reclaimed barn wood. Design gestures play with scale to create the appearance of generous volumes, and large windows flood the space with natural light while providing breathtaking views of the surrounding coastal marsh. Finishes for clinical areas were appropriately selected for their infection-prevention properties while maintaining a sense of warmth and adherence to the overall palette. High ceilings, oversized doors, and decorative lighting enhance the feeling of elegance.

Architect & Interior Designer: CHA Architecture (formerly PDT Architects)
Builder: Hebert Construction
Photography: Blind Dog Photography
Location: Portland
Completed: 2018

Bangor Savings Bank Founder Place
Bangor Savings Bank’s Founders Place consists of three primary structures on a 4.8-acre down-town waterfront campus. The campus and facilities were planned with flexible and collaborative working environments, all-encompassing environmental and sustainable systems, and natural daylighting and views. The campus consists of three buildings: a five-level 35,500-square-foot corporate headquarters in a renovated historic structure, a five-level 120,000-square-foot state-of-the-art operations center, and a new five-level 457-space parking garage.

Recognizing that attracting the best regional banking talent to one of the most remote urban centers of New England in a tight labor market would require a more progressive approach to community building, Bangor Savings Bank’s Founders Way campus’s function and design were formulated to establish a dynamic legacy headquarters campus for the remainder of the twenty-first century.

The architects and interior designers worked to integrate interior environments that support employees’ health and well-being, promote social connections within the workplace, and enhance inter-department collaboration. To balance work-place psychology with applied design planning, the design team evaluated all aspects of the interior environment. The campus’s large, open-flex work spaces, social spaces, and learning spaces promote team interaction. The 11 Hamlin Operations Center was purposefully designed so that all employees enter through a central community space, encouraging face-to-face connections on a daily basis. The campus also encourages wellness while at work by including an accessible gym and expansive rooftop patios. The design connects the campus’s three buildings, multiple spaces, finishes, furniture, and, most notably, Bangor Savings Bank’s employees. This was achieved by the integration of shared working environments with the objective of developing an empowered workforce. Expansive, fence-free waterfront green spaces promote this inclusive culture. The new parking garage is shared for public use during waterfront events, benefiting local nonprofit organizations. The building at 11 Hamlin Way includes extensive investments in sustainable building systems including the largest solar parking canopy, with nearly 1,400 panels, an extensive 80-well geothermal field located throughout the campus, and an integrated building management control system.

Architects: CWS Architect; TAC Architectural Group
Interior Designer: CWS Architects
Builders: Cianbro; Dunbar & Brown
Landscape Architect: SMRT
Photography: Sandy Agrafiotis; Dave Cleaveland
Location: Bangor
Completed: 2019

Roots Café

The owners dreamed of this restaurant space for years, a place where people could gather, hear each other’s stories over great food, and support each other in very personal ways. The design of the space, its program, and all the materials inside were used to encourage a community space that would be highly social, very public, and active with a variety of spaces to gather, either one-on-one or in groups.

The site is extremely long and thin and is located along a prominent site at the center of Westbrook that had been used as a railroad interchange many years ago. The architects used these proportions and history to develop a linear building inspired by simple barn buildings and slender railway pavilions. The program includes a cafe space, a bakery kitchen, an outdoor patio and public roof deck, a kid’s place with supervised attention, and a public meeting room that can be reserved for various functions.

The design of the spaces and the materials were configured to encourage an open, social atmosphere. The architects used an organically modified wood, Kebony, on the exterior, combined with dark HardiePlank siding, oversized black windows, and metal details to give the building an enduring yet warm character. There are large areas of wood, galvanized steel, and industrial details on the interior, with an array of dangling Edison bulbs to establish an organic and natural vibe for the cafe.

Architect: Delano Architecture
Contractor: Robie Builders
Site & Civil Engineer: DM Roma Consulting Engineers
Excavation & Site Work: Les Wilson & Sons
Electrical: TA Napolitano
Mechanical Design-Build: Mash Mechanical
Windows: Sierra Pacific Window
Photography: Aaron Flacke
Location: Westbrook
Completed: 2018

Starting New in Biddeford Pool
A Toronto family that spent summers in Biddeford Pool decided it was time to replace their old house that looked out over the ocean. With the house aging, maintenance increasing, and the style dated, they decided new construction would be best. The couple hired Travis Kinney to design a new house that would make the best use of the property and take advantage of the amazing views while also providing increased privacy. The end result is a house with clean lines and simple detailing that doesn’t compete with the views. The owner, who is an avid painter, requested an interior layout that affords ample wall space for her extensive art collection and personal paintings. At the same time, the first-floor layout is open to the views and creates a space perfect for entertaining. An owners’ suite located on the second floor has a bedroom centered on a balcony for the couple to enjoy their morning coffee together as the early sun warms them. The screened porch is located at the corner of the house, with views toward the north and east without blocking views from within the house. The wraparound deck extends across the ocean side of the house and connects to a large patio. The patio is backed up by colorful doors at the back of the garage that can be opened for entertaining and table tennis games. The nearby fire pit and outdoor shower offer a great gathering spot for beachgoers to rinse off and warm up after an afternoon of kayaking. With two guest rooms over the garage and a custom-millwork bunk room in the daylight basement adjacent to a family room and paint studio, the owners have plenty of room for guests and a growing family.

Architectural Designer: Travis Kinney
Builder: Chris Ballard
Roofing: Kittell Builders
Kitchen Cabinets: Indisco Kitchens & Baths
Landscape Design & Installation: Coastal Lawn & Landscape
Structural Engineer: Shelley Engineering
Windows: Pinnacle Window Solutions
Photography: Alexander Pelletier
Location: Biddeford Pool
Completed: 2018

Camp in the Trees
This camp is inspired by its site and a love for the beauty in function and design. Within this site, shedding walls and touching lightly within the trees felt like the most respectful design path. The owners’ bedroom could wander away from the shared living space, and cover from the rain and a walkway for bare feet was all that was needed. So, the architects slid the owners’ bedroom out of the house to make it its own retreat. The design became a lifestyle choice that the owners completely embraced. A covered walkway with views of the lake lightly tethers the kitchen, living room, and dining room to the bedroom. The torrefied wood decking flows between trees and through screen doors.

Siting the camp respected an oak grove, which has long stood on the site. The entry to the living room cantilevers to respect tree roots, and the building’s footprint shifts and dances between the trees. In this camp inspired by openness and connectivity, soft angles carve out cozy places to sit, read, listen to the lake water against the shoreline, and gather together as a family.

The house’s materiality, textures, and character connect it to the place in which it is built and the family that loves to spend the summer in Maine. Cedar shakes and modern brass fixtures celebrate the context and the owner’s love for beautifully designed fittings and fixtures. Each space is a true reflection of this family. A love to cook and entertain inspired the engaging relationship between the kitchen and screen porch. Large double-hung windows open to the kitchen counter, with a sink thoughtfully placed for chilling refreshments on ice.

Architect: Winkelman Architecture
Builder: Bill Symonds
Interior Design: Winkelman Architecture
Landscape Design: Richardson & Associates
Landscape Contractor: Samon Falls Nursery
Structural Engineer: Albert Putnam Associates
Photographer: Jeff Roberts
Location: Bridgton
Completed: 2018