Flood-zone insurance rates necessitated an elevated first floor, and making the most of the narrow ocean view between neighboring buildings would mean building up to the height limit. But the architects made a virtue of necessity, emphasizing the house’s verticality with a cherry-veneered storage-and-circulation spine that incorporates cabinets, bookcases, a fireplace, an entertainment center, and display space for the owner’s collection of Peruvian pottery. The house’s white oak stair gets in on the act too, with an elongated tread that becomes a cabinet top and work surface that wraps around the first-floor office. Our judges noted the piece’s effectiveness at unifying two floors of the house. Said one, “It’s the thing that brings energy and warmth into all those spaces.”
Project Credits
Entrant/Architect: CUBE design + research, Boston
Builder: Jack Hart, Folly Beach, S.C.
Consulting contractor: Rampart Construction, Charleston, S.C.
Millwork contractors: GCW Inc., Johns Island, S.C., and Southland Custom Woodworks, Summerville, S.C.
Living space: 3,100 square feet
Site: .25 acre
Construction cost: $187 a square foot
Photographer: Richard Leo Johnson Resources: Bathroom/kitchen plumbing fittings/fixtures: Kohler; Dishwasher: GE; Exterior siding: James Hardie; Fireplace: Heatilator; Insulation: Owens Corning; Oven/refrigerator: GE; Paints: Benjamin Moore; Range: Viking; Roofing: Stevens; Sheathing: Georgia Pacific; Skylights: Acralight; Windows: Fleetwood and Weathershield.
