Southwest Harbor Carriage House
Southwest Harbor, Maine
Project Team: Eric Sokol, Will Winkelman
Landscape Architect: Susan Allen
Structural Engineer: Albert Putnam Associates
Builder: John Dargis
Photography: Jeff Roberts
Crafted guest cottage emerging from a rocky ledge.
The program for this tiny guest cottage was to create a comfortable and private quarters for guests, as well was a small garage for the owners to use year round. The steep and rocky site dictated that the garage be nestled into the ledge, and the guest cottage on top. To prevent the building from appearing too tall or imposing, care was taken to push it down as low as possible, integrating it into the ground. The massive bouldered walls at the back of the cottage emphasize this connection to the site.
The owner is an avid sailor, and so the inside of the cottage was inspired by the highly crafted cabins of boats. The small space was arranged most efficiently by using built in seating and custom casework for storage. The result is a highly crafted composition that is warm and comfortable, and celebrates the incredible skills of all of the artisans who worked on it.