Marblehead Residence
Marblehead, Mass.
Edmonds + Lee Architects

A fresh take on New England residential architecture

For more photos click on 'photos & drawings' above.

To live along the coastline of Salem Sound facing the Atlantic Ocean is to be aware of three dominant landscapes: the land, the sky, and the sea. In creating a residence located atop a gigantic rock ledge in Marblehead, Massachusetts, Edmonds and Lee Architects examined how to intensify the experience and create a heightened state of awareness of this spectacular locale.

The spatial concept of the house was intended to contrast with the Victorian and New England style houses in the area. While Victorian ideals reflected strict spatial hierarchies, single-use rooms, and designs that were closed to the environment, modern architecture aspires to adaptable, hybrid spaces that are open to the environment. The Marblehead Residence is designed to be a dynamic structure, constantly changing and adapting to its surroundings from day to day and season to season.

The main feature of this house is its “deciduous skin”: large, operable and insulated screens that can be opened and closed to any desired range of opacity. Much like the leaves of a tree, these screens serve hybrid functions depending on external conditions. During the summer, when temperatures fall within the comfort zone, only minimal solar shading is required. However, during the winter, the double-glazed sliding doors, the thermal mass in the floor slab, and the closed insulated shutters can be used to heat the house. In addition to their functionality, the screens add a different character to the house according to the season.

The form of the house is made of simple, highly flexible horizontal spaces arranged within an L-shaped plan. Visitors arrive on the second level of the house where the majority of public spaces are located, while the entire lower level is depressed into the earth to reduce the overall scale of the building and to shelter the house and the main outdoor courtyard from the cold winter winds.

Formal name of building:
Marblehead Residence

Location:
Marblehead, Mass.

Gross square footage:
5,000 sq ft

Owner:
Name withheld at client’s request

Architect:
Edmonds + Lee Architects
200 Riverside Blvd. #12H
New York, NY 10069
(212) 580-9281
www.edmondslee.com
email: robert@edmondslee.com

Principals in charge:
Robert Edmonds & Vivian Lee