Main House

Located on a tidal salt marsh in Ipswich, MA, the Miles/Erickson Residence celebrates the natural beauty of its rural seaside site.

Centrally sited between the heavily-travelled road to Crane Beach and the expanse of the salt marsh, the burned-out shell of the original house has been renovated to include a new two-story gallery which stretches from the front entry to the back porch. Framing dramatic views of the marsh and filled with natural light, the gallery is the central circulation space for the house, with a bridge cutting through it at the second floor. The sense of the house as a special place to celebrate the natural environment is enhanced by elegant custom-milled mahogany for mouldings and window trim, and a custom mahogany and granite stair.

The main-entry elevation along the busy road to the beach is fairly restrained and closed, with dormers providing generous natural light while maintaining privacy. On the marsh side the house is more exhuberant and open, enlivened with a balcony and railed porch. In massing and detail the house recalls New England’s grand turn-of-the-century seaside residences.

Art Studio and Garage

This charming companion to a newly-renovated house in the picturesque seaside town of Ipswich, MA, provides indoor and outdoor art-making areas, space for two cars, and storage loft.

Built on the footprint of the former garage, the new garage/studio is a simple form enlivened by a playful composition of elements that express its multiple uses. At one end of the building, the double-height art studio is indicated by a miniature dormer, a band of windows just above person height, and a striking, diamond-shaped auriol window, which together meet the artist’s specific natural light needs and also provide privacy. The adjacent “zone” of garage space with storage loft is indicated on the exterior by garage doors with full-size dormer centered above. Flexibly designed to accommodate expansion of the studio, the garage opens onto a patio which provides outdoor art-making space.

The design makes use of several beloved features of the region’s historic vernacular architecture, including gabled dormers, pitched roof, and cedar shingles. Through its imaginative use of this traditional palette, the humble building becomes a worthy companion to the grand main residence.