Northshore Home magazine highlights the best in architectural design, new construction and renovations, interiors, and landscape design.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/974577
10 SPRING 2018 Architect William Ruhl elevates an old ranch to new heights. Nancy Berry, Editor And if you have a design project you would like to share, send us an email at nberry@nshoremag.com. W HAT DOES IT MEAN TO DESIGN A HOUSE with lasting impact? Northshore Home asked this question during this year's Bos- ton Design Week through a panel discussion with local architects called "Designing an Heirloom House with Lasting Impact." I can't help but think of the houses we have featured in this issue that fit this criterion. An heirloom house does not have to be a relic from the distant past but is rather a house that is simply made to last—a house that can be passed from one generation to the next. The North Shore has many existing heirloom houses built with good design principles and craftsmanship. These houses—most of them dating from before 1950— have proven they can stand the test of time. The North Shore's impressive 17th-, 18th- and 19th-century housing stock is proof of this, and Essex Country has the largest number of 17th-century houses in the country. But what about those houses that are not heirlooms, houses with little aesthetic impact that are poorly built—houses that are seemingly disposable. Can they be transformed into heirloom dwellings? With good design and craftsmanship, I say yes. Architect William Ruhl does just this with a non- descript ranch on the coast in Rockport. The house had little to contribute to the fabric of the surround- ing neighborhood and was poorly built to boot. Ruhl transforms this tired ranch into a modern and sustain- able getaway. He chooses to emulate vernacular of the New England Saltbox, and because of its proximity to the coast (the house sits in a flood zone just 24 feet from the water's edge) he follows FEMA flood guidelines and raises the house and sets it on 26 pillars. He not only protects the house from storm surges by elevat- ing it, but he also creates covered outdoor living space underneath the house—going beyond sustainability to resiliency. This is a house that will no doubt have a lasting impact on its coastal site and be around for generations to come. This issue is full of great design ideas, from new designs such as Mat Cummings's modern farmhouse based on design principles of the past to projects like a kitchen renovation that speaks to how a family uses the space every day. Enjoy this spring issue of Northshore Home. HEIRLOOM HOUSES nshoremag.com/nshorehome/ from the editor // S P R I N G 2 0 1 8 P H O T O G R A P H B Y C H R I S B E C K E R