estes/twombly architects, newport, r.i.
The judges admired the simple lines and casual attitude of this summer and weekend residence on remote Block Island, R.I. “It’s a good lesson in editing,” said one. At 1,040 square feet, it’s the smallest built house that Newport, R.I., architect James Estes has ever designed. “The size was dictated by the clients’ program and budget,” he says. “They wanted very much to keep it in line with the stripped-down Block Island aesthetic.”
The home consists of two pieces–a two-story main house, tucked into a 22-by-22-foot plan, and a 72-square-foot entry shed. A wall containing sliding barn doors connects the two elements while also providing a windbreak for the terrace between them. As befits a vacation house, the floor plan is about as unfussy as it gets. A combination kitchen/living/dining room makes up the first floor, and two bedrooms occupy the second. Low-maintenance materials like cedar shingles and galvanized-steel hardware make the house as rugged and durable as Block Island’s rocky coast.
project architect: James Estes, AIA, Estes/Twombly Architects
general contractor: Spier Construction, Block Island
project size: 1,040 square feet
site size: 3 acres
construction cost: Withheld
photographer: Warren Jagger