Cabin

A wood-burning stove and hydronic and geothermal heating systems ensure that the residence is warm and inviting despite its openness to the outdoors.

To further connect the indoor spaces with the New England landscape outside, glass walls in the living and dining areas slide open to eliminate the barriers between indoors and outdoors. Green slate tiles compose the flooring inside.

Inside, windows are strategically oriented to harness the power of fresh ocean breezes as a cooling device, reducing the need for large HVAC loads and maximizing areas where natural light can be used to illuminate rooms. The chimney centerpiece is clad in Vals Quartzite, a hard stone that provides a moment of cooling visual contrast in the otherwise warm living room.

A section of the roof reaches over a rock outcropping—a detail that visually connects the house to the landscape and offers a handy way to climb up to the roof deck without using a ladder.

Kartheiser's courtyard also includes a dry sauna with a ceiling made from 2,500 pieces of wood.