Out of the blue, the current owners of this project contacted us: “Thank you for building this house, full of light, angles, and outdoor spaces! The bays (or prows as we call them) are truly inspired. We understand the Shingle Style was based on the William G. Lowe house in Rhode Island.”

The Lowe House influence is quite true, along with two Robert A.M. Stern houses on Martha’s Vineyard. Still, the initial genesis came from our assignment from the original owner, a VP at prominent Saint Olaf College in Northfield: “I want the house to fit into the neighborhood (a fairly typical Midwestern subdivision), but I don’t want it to look like anything in the neighborhood”. Hence our choice of the Shingle Style and the swooping roof of the Rhode Island Lowe house, an architectural Shingle Style icon of the 19th century. As for the “truly inspired prows” and angles, these were generated from the need to “kink” the structure on the lot, then to “adjust” the interior spaces for a successful orientation to the features of the property. We are very thrilled that the current owners are enjoying these design decisions!

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VHT Studios photos used with permission.