House on Maxmore Creek

At just over 200 feet long, this 1950s Chesapeake Bay waterfront rambler had, over time, rambled a little too far. Additions on additions had stretched the program too far to have any sense of place or any kind of compositional power. So, when our clients asked for two new offices and some renovations, for a variety of reasons we proposed a tower, more or less in the center. Partly, because making a big difference in one surgically located place did not require renovating the whole house or rambling any farther. Partly, because getting up 15 or 25 or, ultimately, to a roof deck 40 feet above the ground is a powerful way to experience the beautiful but flat landscape of the Bay’s Eastern Shore. And, partly, because making a stair that goes all the way up is a fun way to move around and to bring in light. Finally, the entire house was reclad in white cedar shingles, helping it all play together happily.