A Modern Cape Cod Home Blends Sustainable Design with Stunning Coastal Views

Set 100 feet above Cape Cod Bay, this 6,500-square-foot house hunkers into its setting, abetted by nearly three acres of naturalistic grounds designed by landscape architect Kris Horiuchi. “Wherever you are—in the house or on the decks—you always feel connected to the native coastal landscape,” she says.

The common area is covered in heated concrete floor tiles and wrapped in scenery, interrupted only by interior overhangs that shield the sun and establish cozy areas within the open floor plan.

The casual seating area at the far end of the common area is dubbed “the screened porch” because it projects into the landscape and is flanked by retractable doors for cooling cross ventilation.

The concave entry draws visitors in while sheltering them from the prevailing winds.

Plump, sinuous seating from Edra helps offset the living room’s angular lines and concrete wall, which is inset with niches for firewood and art. “We wanted to play with the plasticity of the concrete,” architect Michael Price says.

Hallways are consigned to outer walls, to take advantage of the views. The owners love the way the hall’s curved corner plays off the home’s linearity.

The kitchen’s contemporary lines are warmed by a white-oak acoustical ceiling and matching cabinets topped with Caesarstone. Ventilation equipment is concealed within a concrete wall that looms over the powerhouse gas range, which the husband commandeers most of the time.

The husband’s bedroom overlooks the water to the west; plantings were carefully positioned to preserve privacy while enhancing the view.

The adjoining music studio has an acoustical ceiling and wall panels to counteract all the hard surfaces, including the concrete fireplace, which features a decorative control joint over the hearth in lieu of a mantel.

Architectural Harmony with Cape Cod’s Natural Landscape

Peering demurely over clumps of bayberry and beach grass atop a Cape Cod sand dune, the vacation house that architect Michael Price designed for a pair of longtime Boston-area clients would be easy to miss at first glance. Standing a single story and wrapped in glass, it blends into its surroundings like driftwood on the beach. Step inside, however, and it feels like you’ve ascended to heaven, with panoramic vistas of sea, sand, and sky in nearly every direction.

The husband, a venture capitalist, is an accomplished musician and early bird, while his wife is an academic, writer, and night owl. Price laid out the house like a V to accommodate both, with public spaces in the middle and his-and-her suites at either end. The wife’s research-strewn lair offers sweeping views up the coastline to the north, while the husband’s soundproof sanctuary overlooks the expansive waters below. Guest suites for their children and grandchildren are tucked into the spacious daylight basement below.

Innovative Design for Harsh Coastal Conditions

While Price’s design maximizes the views, it’s also attuned to the setting’s harsh climatic conditions, which include pounding rain, saltwater, wind, and sun. “That’s a brutal environment for buildings,” observes the architect, who shielded the entry from prevailing winds and incorporated broad, sheltering eaves to help shade the interior (and hide a rooftop solar array).

Those eaves also protrude inside, lowering the ceiling height around the perimeter of rooms to mitigate heat from the sun and establish cozy, sheltered seating areas within the open plan. Clerestories above these overhangs bounce sunlight onto the ceiling, filling the rooms with indirect light. “We were very consciously trying to find ways to bring natural light into the house but in a controlled manner, so it wasn’t overpowering,” Price says.

The exterior is clad in ipe, a Brazilian hardwood that was left to weather naturally. “It’s super durable and unaffected by salt air,” notes the architect, who directed the builder, Thoughtforms, to install it in a narrow board-and-batten pattern resembling corduroy. “We really like the texture of it and the shadow play when the sun is raking across it,” Price says.

Inside, rugged concrete walls anchor nearly every room. “It was an opportunity to do something that looked very modern and would stand up really well to the elements,” says Price. The concrete forms were lined with rough-hewn boards, allowing the texture of every plank to become imprinted on the finished masonry. “You can see the grain of the wood, and it just has the feel of a natural material,” observes Thoughtforms principal Mark Doughty, who offset those monolithic slabs with warm wood ceilings, windows, and cabinets.

During the pandemic, the owners retreated to the house and liked it so much, they made it their primary residence. “When you’re in the house you feel connected to the outside,” says the wife. “And it’s an equal partnership: the land is just as unique and beautiful as the house is.”

Project Team
Architecture: Michael Price Architects
Builder: Thoughtforms
Landscape design: Horiuchi Solien