Project Description
Buffeted by brisk ocean winds and reached only by boat or plane, tiny
Block Island slows to a crawl in winter, most of its homes and inns
shuttered until summer. Not this home. Visually and functionally
improved per the wishes of its new owners, it is used year-round, thanks
to a core “winter house” consisting of all public spaces, utilities,
and two bedrooms. The judges found the home “lyrical” and “the essence
of Prairie.” In deference to the harsh climate, architect James Estes
aimed for simplicity and durability. For instance, the remaining four
bedrooms are in a two-story annex whose outdoor stair is protected by an
extended roofline. Sliding barn doors block wind from the deck that
connects the annex to the core house.
The home began as a 1960s prefab with a flat-roofed core and two open
gables, later gaining a hipped roof and other ill-conceived additions.
Contractor Shea Butcher first took the house back to what remained of
the original form. He then made the core wider (4 feet) and longer (14
feet); replaced the square annex with a slimmer, two-story version; and
outfitted a small garage with its own barn door and gabled roof.
Sunlight and views are maximized throughout. A small breakfast deck
faces east; doors and other decks open to the west; and the windows in
the bathrooms of the stacked annex jut out at an angle, their mirrors
bringing in the dramatic views.