Scope of Project/Services

The clients, who lived across the world at the time, wanted a 6000 square foot new construction home designed and built in a beautiful upscale Portsmouth, RI neighborhood. They were looking for a modern design that integrated well with the design covenant of the neighborhood.

Special Requests or Needs of the Client or Job

The clients needed to be able to work with us remotely. The distance posed no issue for us, and we were able to keep them very involved in the entire process, with great feedback and communication.

Challenges and Solutions 

The site had both sunset and ocean views on the same side of the front entry to the home, creating a unique challenge. We designed the driveway to connect to the back of the house, where a courtyard includes the garage and a window well to take advantage of the natural light and allow it into the basement.  

A bridge connects the landscape to the door and is part of a massive floor-to-ceiling window bay which provides views straight through the building. That window bay is part of a great room that includes an open catwalk connecting the second-floor spaces. 

Most rooms in the home face the beautiful ocean view.

Special or Remarkable Features

This home inspired CDA’s first bluestone fireplace, which became a common design element in other projects. The landscape architect created a lovely “green wall” of live vegetation that climbed up the window well space.

What We Enjoyed Most About this Project

It was unique at the time to design a home for someone who was far away. Computer-aided communication and technology proved extremely useful. The clients hired an entire design team from afar, including a landscape architect and interior designer. Each member of the team brought something important to the table, and the collaboration among the designers led to international design awards for this project.