Architecture Wednesday: Bluff House

Nothing like sitting up high and looking down on everyone else to put me in a good mood.
So, then, this house, Bluff House, which sits on the crest of a windblown bluff overlooking the Atlantic would be my ideal getaway. Or my ideal Getaway from me!!!

This four-bedroom, 6,850-square-foot summer house--that's right, summer house--was designed to echo those early camps in Martha’s Vineyard without all that rough stuff. See, my idea of roughing it is no room service. But a house like this must come with a staff, so, I think I'll take it. 
From the website:
"The structure’s complex form, organized between an earthen stone plinth and trapezoidal roof, is generated by the natural geometry of the bluff. The space between the planes allows for clerestory windows, which let in diffused light from above. The house becomes a visual extension of the landscape as the roof planes reciprocate the formal qualities of the bluff, windswept cedars, and cresting waves of the Atlantic below."
Which is to say, it matches it's surroundings.

The house, and the colors and materials used, are meant to age over time, giving the house a sense of place. The western red cedar siding will weather to subtle shades of gray; the windows are trimmed unfinished yellow cedar, which will also weather to gray, as will the zinc roof.
The interior continues with the red cedar tongue and groove cladding, bringing the outside and inside together; the paneled walls are reminiscent of the Vineyard’s boat-building traditions. 

The interior layout revolves around the central, open, living room/dining/kitchen area, but they are smaller, more intimate spaces throughout. A family room off the kitchen has a large folding door that opens the space of the room to the screened porch, essentially turning the family room into one large screened porch when the doors are open. 

One of the four bedroom serves as a guest suite, with a separate entrance, living area, and it's own fabulous bathroom with sunken tub and gorgeous views.

Even without air conditioning, the house is designed to be comfortable in the summer; there are large overhangs to shade the expanses of glass, and all rooms have cross ventilation. The clerestory windows, when open, pull the ventilation through the house; as the hot air rises out, cooler breezes are brought in along the ground. 
Yes, i suppose, if I had to, I could summer there. 


via Architectural Record