Lobster Boat House

The Lobster Boat is a metaphor for a house that is economical, purposeful, and durable. Located on a dense urban shoreline site, this residence celebrates its setting while providing privacy to its family. The waterfront parcel has been incorporated into a condominium development that includes 4 detached single family residences and 2 houseboats. Residents share waterfront access, water craft, parking, utilities, and a vegetable garden. While sharing costs and responsibilities, a stronger sense of community in the city is established. This is a new house built on an existing 24’x28’ daylight basement. The constraints of site and footprint result in an efficient vertical house rising four floors and reaching the maximum allowable zoning envelope while providing a variety of indoor and outdoor spaces and views of the waterfront. The stair & bookcase wall is located on the south facing street frontage, providing filtered views into and out of the residence while allowing for solar heat gain that is controlled by shading devices and large venting windows. Bedrooms occupy the Ground Floor, Living/Dining/Kitchen are on the Main Floor, and the Upper Floor is a Family Room and Roof Deck. The Basement houses Utility and Laundry Rooms, Storage, and a Guest Bedroom Suite with Sauna. Economical materials such as raw cedar, steel, and integral color cement panel siding, are intentionally honest, low maintenance, and hard working.