When Woodhull first met with the clients, they said, “Be bold!” After the first design meeting, they told the architects, “Be bolder!” The Woodhull team took them at their word. The sloping site along the rocky coast of Cutler offers the opportunity for bold architecture. Rather than nestle into the land, the building extends past and over an exposed rocky ledge, resting on stilts high above the landscape. The form of the enclosed space bends and responds to the views, the prevailing breezes, and the light, while the roof creates protection through a series of overhangs specific to their function. These overhangs protect from the weather at the entry and help reduce solar glare and heat gain. The form is adventurous but directly responsive to the complexities of the landscape. The exterior materials palette is fairly simple, with unweathered Corten steel panels and glass. Like the plan, the materials are responsive; the climate will weather them over time. The interior provides several dramatic skylights within the deep roof structure, flooding the interior with natural light. Though not significant in scale, the two-bedroom home is large in personality.

The clients had looked for property in the Cutler area for ten years and had been thinking about this house for a long time. Their adventurous nature pushed Woodhull into exciting new territory.

Location: Cutler
Design Director: David Duncan Morris, Woodhull
Project Manager: Chris Garland, Woodhull
Architect: Lydia Mather, Woodhull
Construction Start: Summer 2023