— houses, waterfront, in construction

Gap Cove House Nearing Completion

Much has happened since we last wrote about a new house we designed on Gap Cove in Rockport, MA back in June. We’re happy to report that after a historically difficult 2015 winter the general contractor, Skinner and Watkins, recovered…

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— houses, in design, in construction, waterfront

The Evolution of a Design

  When William Ruhl and his wife bought their little “fixer-upper” in Rockport, MA, they promised the sellers – who happened to also be the next door neighbors – that they would have the opportunity to review the design of…

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— houses, in construction, waterfront

Building a Modern House on the Coast in the Age of Rising Tides

Building a custom house on the coast has become more treacherous in the era of rising sea levels. Firm principal, Will Ruhl, has been researching this subject intensely in conjunction with the design of his own house in Rockport, MA.…

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— houses, in design, waterfront

An Architect’s House in Rockport – Part II

After studying dozens (hundreds?!) of plans and 3D model ideas, Will settled on what he thought of as a relatively “quiet” / simple design, a collage of volumes and planes wrapped around the original house. The ground floor would be…

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— houses, in design, waterfront

An Architect’s House in Rockport – Part I  

Will Ruhl and his family bought a small, humble house in a beautiful neighborhood of Rockport, MA, in 2012 from the next door neighbors, with dreams of creating a year-round house worthy of its priceless location on Gap Cove. The…

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The visually “quiet” street façade of the new house provides no hint of the magnificent views from within, unless someone happens to be peeking down from above, and despite its modern crispness tries hard to be a discrete addition to the neighborhood of older houses. Siding is going to be a mix of cedar shingles and horizontal cedar tongue and groove boards. Image: Ruhl Walker Architects
— houses, in design

New House in Rockport

We are really excited about a new house we are designing in Rockport, MA. Actually, this is one of two new houses we are designing simultaneously within less than a mile of each other in Rockport, but more on that…

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The CHAC sits serenely in the snow, and will really come alive in the spring in contrast to its pastoral setting.
— institutional, pro bono, prefab

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for The Catherine Houghton Arts Center

Our Catherine Houghton Arts Center at The White Mountain School had a ribbon cutting ceremony a short time ago, and Will Ruhl was honored to be holding one half of the amusingly oversized scissors. Outside the thermometer was hovering close…

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Inside, the Music Studio bay window interrupts the rhythm of the curtain wall but adds a contemplative place to sit and create or stare out to the White Mountains.
— institutional, in construction, pro bono, prefab

A New Arts Center for The White Mountain School, Part III

Since our last blog post on the new art studio building that we designed for The White Mountain School in Bethlehem, NH, there has been some dramatic progress; not as much as the aggressive original schedule called for but amazingly…

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Day 2: The first floor goes up without a hitch, along with the custom curtain wall. We’re told that a rubber mallet was seen on site.
— institutional, in construction, pro bono, prefab

A New Arts Center for The White Mountain School

A lot of progress has been made since our last blog post on the new art studio building we designed for The White Mountain School in Bethlehem, NH. General contractor and prefabricator Bensonwood Construction Company produced all of the Permit-related…

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Photo by Lee Robinson, Seadar Construction
— houses, in construction, waterfront

Architectural Solutions to Coastal Challenges

As construction winds down on our house in Wellfleet, Sandra Baron discusses some specific coastal challenges that were overcome through careful design decisions.     The hot topic following a recent uptick in super-storms is how and even whether houses…

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The standing seam copper roof was formed on site to navigate the curve.
— houses, in construction, waterfront

Curves are Taking Shape in Wellfleet

Following up on our most recent post, Sandra Baron describes the process of building curved roofs and walls with today’s technology.     We always enjoy pushing the envelope, but when our clients came to us requesting a design that…

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We decided to use copper for the arcing roof since copper will patina over time and that will help the roof and the house virtually melt into its surroundings.
— houses, in construction, waterfront

The House of Shifting Sands

When we last posted photos of our Griffin Island house in Wellfleet, MA, the board-formed concrete foundation under the main house was rising out of the sand and the art studio was taking form to the south. Time flies, but…

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