This house has a tower — a three-story-high
lookout from which the owners can see the entire
shape of Block Island spread before them. The
Rhode Island coastline forms the northern horizon, Montauk Point Lighthouse is visible to the
southwest, while to the east, the open Atlantic rolls
to Portugal. A few working farms amidst moors and meadows, plus
scores of wooden cottages, complete this mostly unspoiled island,
this quintessential summer-by-the-sea landscape. Also to be seen
from this aerielike vantage point are two more of the half dozen
houses that Estes/Twombly Architects of Newport, Rhode Island,
has built on the island over the last 10 years. Principals Jim Estes
and Peter Twombly, who both trained at the Rhode Island School
of Design in Providence, have worked hard to capture the true spirit
of traditional domestic design along the New England coast. When
the high cost of seashore property seemingly demands constructing
8,000-square-foot re-creations of Gilded Age mansions, they have
limited themselves to smaller houses that respect the local vernacular and do the least violence to the fragile coastal ecosystem.
In a lecture recently delivered at Roger Williams University in
Bristol, Rhode Island, Estes summed up the team’s design philoso-
the heart of the house (left) is the west-facing second-floor living
space, with its sweeping views of land and sea. In keeping with the
simplicity of design, kitchen cabinets are practical stained plywood.
The exposed rafters heighten awareness of the single-pitch shed roof.
Reminiscent of an old Coast Guard lifesaving station, the tower
(above) is both sentinel and welcoming landmark.
phy: “We wanted to do a regional architecture that went beyond variations on style and that would become a synthesis of local influences
resulting in buildings that were unique to their time and place.”
The clients, who had summered on the island before they
bought their 2-acre site, were familiar with houses designed by the
firm, including its first, which was only 1,040 square feet. Although
twice as big, this house has many of the same features of that initial offering: cedar shingles and white trim, spaces that embrace the
summer sun and can be closed against winter winds, and the sense
of a natural evolution of the island’s architectural tradition — one
that stresses utility as well as accommodation with the often harsh
climate.
The fish-cleaning bench by the back terrace speaks volumes
about the owners’ attitude toward island living. Back in New York,
life is hectic. She is a film editor who has worked with Kevin Bacon,
Mary Steenburgen, and Holly Hunter; he is a producer and distributor of independent films. This house is their retreat, a quiet place to
spend time with their two sons — to fish, read, and ride bicycles. The
house’s two wings also reflect the realities of having teenage boys, allowing a certain independence for them as well as for guests.
Though the owners did not want a flashy statement, they did
have a specific program for their summer getaway: They wanted one
large open living space on the second floor, a deck that faced the
sunset, and a tower from which to enjoy the breathtaking land- and
seascapes. The architects’ solution was a pair of simple two-story
barnlike sheds, turned at right angles to create outdoor spaces and
take advantage of different views. The plan also puts children and
