Bild Architecture Evan Carroll and Eric Wittman note that the 30 Merrill Street house is a “project of intersections.” Modern and yet respectful of tradition, the design seeks to ground the seven-unit home in the Munjoy Hill neighborhood’s building conventions, even as rising land value transforms the Portland community.

On Merrill Street the buildings vary from three- and four-story multi-units to one- and two-story single-family homes. Bild Architecture is using fabricated metal railings and canopies to give the historic home a contemporary touch. On the top floor the design will step back the walls to provide outdoor space and reduce the apparent building scale, allowing sunlight and air to filter around the structure and onto the street. Bild chose shallow Juliet balconies for functional as well as aesthetic reasons: the floor-length windows permit light to flow into the house and increase interaction between the residents and the street.

The design also includes sustainable features, such as high levels of insulation in the walls and roof as well as triple-glazed windows that retain warmth or coolness, depending on the season. Since the building will run entirely on electricity, the owners can easily choose energy options that will reduce their carbon footprint. Outside, a green-roof tray system will reduce energy use and protect the house from weather damage, and water-permeable pavers in the driveway will absorb storm water and reduce runoff.