Rural Hotel

Though the house's design was inspired by old sheds and barns, its glass walls give the home a contemporary feel and fill the interior with light, even on cloudy days.

The overhanging roof creates covered outdoor space connected to the home's public areas.

“We could lift up very easily the walls, the fittings, the shelves, the light fixtures, everything. You couldn’t have made this with wood or even steel.” —Peter Rose, architect

Large, dramatic openings bring transparency and contrast to the 10-inch-thick concrete facade, framing perspectival views of the landscape.

The back deck features an outdoor shower designed by Scott. Made of stainless steel and brass components, it uses a garden watering nozzle for the shower and foot-wash heads.

“We pulled apart one volume and staggered it along the buildable area of the property,” says architect Matthew Ahlberg of Portland firm Barrett Made. The home is clad in unfinished cedar, meant to weather over time.

A breezeway complete with swings connects the front and back decks. “We knew we wanted a covered entry, but we left it open to create a larger outdoor space,” says Scott, who admits to occasionally using the swings himself. Mud guards are built into the Kebony decking to keep dirt from being tracked inside. The teak chairs are by Skagerak.

Family members have their own areas in the mudroom. Each is equipped with a hanging basket and a repurposed teak shower mat.

Reflecting the diversity of the Maine forest, the kitchen island and floors are maple and the stools are oak. A colorful painting by Jenny Prinn provides contrast.

Wood is a prominent feature throughout the design with oak floors throughout the interior and timber battens wrapping around the exterior.

Modscape is an end-to-end company, however they will bring in outsdie consultants when necessary. The landscape and pool for this project were executed with the help of Bethany Williamson, Wickstead Works, and Gordon Ave Pools & Spas.

The firm wanted the materiality of the cabin to be "in harmony with the site," says Shaw. "So, that over time, the building could weather gracefully and the site around it would change, and they would do so in tandem."

Winkelman Architecture delivers grown-up summer-camp vibes with this unassuming retreat on the coast of Maine.

The window seat can also double as a bed. "It's particularly long, which was so that an adult can sleep there, or two kids could comfortably cozy up and sleep there," says Shaw, noting that it’s tucked around the corner from the bed for privacy.

Inside, there’s similarly understated material palette with concrete floors, plaster walls, and exposed hemlock rafters at the ceiling.

The materials were kept simple: a foundation of board-formed concrete that reveals the wood grain of the boards used to make it, Cor-Ten steel siding that will develop a characterful patina, and rafters made of hemlock, a local species. "In terms of materials, we wanted the full exterior of the building to be something that would weather gracefully, that required very little maintenance, and that had a long life cycle," says Shaw.