architects wiebke and Steven Theodore stand
on the second-story porch, looking out toward the
ocean. Solar collectors on the porch and roof
above are not visible, as they would be on pitched
roofs. Remnants of the last ice age (see Icon, Page
52) dictated the house’s siting. As Steven
Theodore says of his client, Margaret Caglayan,
she “is a rock hugger.”
boulders form a natural patio overlooking
tranquil Lily Pond. Built with Oregon cedar, the
house blends into the land. There is hardly a break
as the living room flows out to the platform deck.
Before the old cottage was razed, greenGoat
Deconstruction in Lawrence, Massachusetts,
salvaged paneling, flooring, joists, doors, windows,
walls, and the slate patio, with some of the materials
recycled into the new house.
for more
details,
see
resources
that was finished in an auto body shop. Many of the materials, such as
pine paneling and maple flooring, were recycled from the demolished
summer cottage to find new life as cabinets.
Solar panels generate 10,000 kilowatt-hours annually, and the
house is so well insulated that the Caglayans like to open windows in
March. Triple-glazed windows, along with a tight building envelope,
keep out wind and moisture. Still, Lily Pond House “is not just about
the engineering,” says Steven Theodore. The ultimate goal was a house
that is thoroughly functional and supremely elegant.
Upon seeing the house, H. Paul Wood, a California
architect now living in Paris, said, “In this day and age
of showmanship architecture, it is rare to come across
a project with such a clear message, with such unifor-
mity of design, and with such a masterful siting solution.” Or as land-
scape architect Richardson declares, the Theodores are “staying true
to Modernism while not losing touch with Maine’s heritage.”
this east-west elevation reveals the split-level nature of the
design, which allowed the architects to squeeze more space
onto a small footprint. The entrance and mudroom are to the
left, the basement is down half a level, the kitchen and living
area are up half a level, and the spine-like central hallway
continues up to the guest bedrooms and a study.
