It’s always interesting to see what architects dream up when given the opportunity to design for themselves. For Boston-based architect Stewart Roberts, who has been conceiving public spaces, including libraries across New England, for the past three decades, his own vacation property on Westport Island was the perfect opportunity to step outside his comfort zone and embark on a new creative adventure. “I wanted a place to get away from the city and enjoy some family time, and I’ve always loved the Maine coast,” says Roberts, who has two grown daughters. The architect settled on a three-and-a-half-acre wooded lot with 300 feet of tidal frontage. “Part of Westport Island’s attraction is how underdeveloped it is,” he continues. “From the site, you can’t see any other houses. It looks out onto a couple of islands, and in the opposite direction is an organic farm.”

No doubt Roberts had plenty of design concepts kicking around in his mind, but he resisted overcomplicating the process. “One pitfall that many architects succumb to when building their own homes is trying to use every good idea they’ve ever had,” says Roberts. Instead, he thought back to the critical theories he was exposed to early in his career. “I hadn’t designed a house for some time, but I worked on passive solar homes during the oil crisis in the 1970s. When it came time to work on this residence, I revisited those principles while considering new technology and techniques. My goal was to create a cutting-edge structure that’s self-sufficient from an energy perspective.”  

As with any project, one of the first and most critical considerations was how the structure would sit on the sloping site, which features a series of granite terraces that cascade down toward the water, leading to a steep drop-off. “Instead of coming in and flattening everything, I wanted to build something with the least impact on the land as possible,” explains Roberts. “The views are fantastic, so I tried to capitalize on that and work with the existing topography.” The resulting 2,500-square-foot four-bedroom, fully electric, net-zero dwelling utilizes the sloping site, with the mechanicals and three water-facing guest rooms on the lower level and the primary bedroom and living areas enjoying the prime vistas from above. An angled shed roof makes for a variety of interesting spaces on the main level, with the ceiling height spanning from 8 feet in the kitchen to a soaring 14 feet in the living area. “The roofline points toward the view, with expansive windows on one side,” says Roberts. However, there’s no bad seat in the house thanks to the open floor plan, which is perfect for entertaining family and friends. 

In addition to the kitchen, living area, dining area, and primary bedroom, the main level contains Roberts’s woodworking studio as well as a screened porch. “When the folding door to the porch is open, you feel like you’re outside,” notes Roberts, who tapped Brunswick-based Senecal Construction Services to build the home. According to the firm’s principal, Matt Senecal, Roberts’s careful spatial planning set this project apart. “Stew thought of everything, from how much square footage a bedroom actually requires down to where you’ll set your keys and jacket when you come in,” says Senecal. “The process is similar to designing the interior of a ship, where you need to be thoughtful of the flow and floor plan to keep square footage down and make use of every inch. There are four bedrooms, but they don’t take up a ton of space. He chose to focus more on the entertaining areas.”

Encasing these spaces is a low-maintenance exterior envelope that blends into its wooded site to the point where it’s nearly invisible from the water. A metal roof and corrugated-metal trim are offset by thermally modified poplar vertical siding—a product that’s prevalent in Europe and starting to gain traction in the United States, according to Roberts. “The wood is essentially cooked in an oven, which removes its sugars, oils, and moisture so that it won’t rot or warp,” he says. “Poplar is an inexpensive species that isn’t normally very attractive, but this cooking process lends a rich mahogany color that will take on some nice variation as it weathers.”   

The construction itself is rather unusual, explains Roberts, who collaborated with Senecal Construction to incorporate smart systems and techniques that minimize the home’s environmental impact as much as possible. “There is two-by-six framing; sheathing over that; then a continuous air, water, and vapor barrier; and finally, six to eight inches of insulation,” says Roberts. “The barrier extends from the footings to the roof, creating an airtight envelope that’s extremely thermally efficient. The thick insulation is expressed on the exterior in the form of deeply inset windows and walls that overhang the foundation.” The electrical system includes an energy recovery ventilation system, heat pumps, backup batteries, and solar panels that provide a bit more power than the house utilizes annually. “Stew designed this house with maximum passive-solar gain in mind,” adds Senecal. “And with the air-exchange system, it’s also a very healthy home.”

With the “guts” of the residence buttoned up, it was time to move on to the interior finishes. Roberts chose to keep the palette simple and clean, employing walnut flooring and birch plywood—a favorite material of his—for the cabinetry, built-in storage, and walls, which are studded with plywood battens for additional interest and texture. In fact, the architect uses this material to construct wood sculptures and furniture as well—hence his desire for a woodworking studio in the house. “There’s a decorative quality to the birch plywood that I like,” explains Roberts. “The sculptures I produce are modernist-inspired architectural reliefs that hang on the wall. I see the interior of the home as an extension of my sculptures.” Whether it be these sculptures, the door and window casings, or the furniture—including the living room coffee table and side tables, the dining table, and the beds and nightstands—the plywood is celebrated rather than made to appear like something it’s not. “Wherever possible, the plywood is turned to expose its laminations,” says Roberts, who built most of the furniture in the home himself and then supplemented with a handful of contemporary items, including barstools by Finnish architect and designer Alvar Aalto and a few pieces from Herman Miller. The neutral palette is dotted with pops of green and brick red that tie into the exterior elements. “I’m interested in natural materials, and I also want to be honest about the materials I’m using,” explains Roberts. “If I choose plywood, I don’t want it to look fancy. I want it to look like plywood.” Throughout the project, Roberts capitalized on the integrity of the carefully chosen materials and the simplicity of the overall scheme. “This house is designed to show off the way it’s built,” he continues. “My vision was to create something beautiful, efficient, and respectful of its wooded setting while maximizing the spectacular water views.”