Open Ocean Exposure

For three decades, a 932-square-foot cottage on Surf Drive in Falmouth served one purpose: escape. The owner lived and worked in Boston; the cottage was where summers and weekends went, with views of Vineyard Sound across the road and a beach close enough to be the second living room. It was where the children grew up.

After retiring, the owner moved to Falmouth full-time. Four grandchildren arrived. So did a wider circle of friends. After thirty years, the cottage that had held a family through its busiest decades could no longer hold the one that came with retirement. Gatherings were cramped, overnight guests had nowhere to land, and yet moving was never really an option. The location could not be improved on, so the decision was made to tear it down and rebuild on the same lot.

The replacement is a three-level home set at an angle on the lot to maximize views and create curb appeal. Balconies and oversized windows on every floor open onto Martha's Vineyard and Nobska Light. Inside the design unwinds the spaces that felt squeezed in the original cottage, creating several distinct gathering areas, perfect for our clients' summers spent entertaining.

The site sits inside a designated FEMA Flood Hazard area at high risk of damaging winds and storm surge. To control flood insurance costs and protect the building over its long life, the home was set on a raised pier-and-beam foundation more typical of homes in earthquake or hurricane zones. Concrete piers anchor deep into the ground; the structure sits roughly eighteen inches above grade, with plumbing and electrical concealed in the crawlspace below.

Direct exposure to the open ocean disqualifies most stock material specifications. Saltwater, salt air, persistent moisture, and harsh UV degrade typical wall assemblies in a few seasons. The home was clad in double-coated, pre-stained shingles that resist UV, water, and mildew. Vinyl windows and composite decking carry the same durability logic into the openings and outdoor surfaces. A structural zip-wall panel system was used for the envelope: a draft-proof assembly with a perm rating similar to conventional sheathing covered with house wrap, but with the moisture barrier and air seal integrated into the panel itself.

Beneath the street-level garage, the owners enclosed roughly 700 square feet of covered space in lattice and set it up with a table, chairs, and a grill — a place for guests to step out of the sun, escape a fast-moving rain shower, or take lunch before heading back to the beach. An adjacent storage area is being converted into a second kitchen for entertaining at scale.

The house is now a gathering place for the neighborhood as much as for the family itself — hosting several large parties each summer, including a standing event on road race day. The design earned Longfellow Design Build a BRICC Award for Excellence in New Single Family Home Design and Construction.