Builders in Maine worth their salt know that construction along the state’s famous coastline can pose distinctive environmental challenges. When a couple from Boston purchased a home overlooking Harpswell’s Cribstone Bridge, which links the twin stunners of Bailey Island and Orr’s Island, intending for it to be a renovation, Kevin Browne Architecture had their work cut out for them.
“I think we started down that road just briefly before we redirected to a new home,” says Kevin Browne, the firm’s founding principal. “There were a lot of structural deficiencies, and we were limited to the ceiling heights. It’s really hard to structurally increase the ceiling heights on any renovation.”
Recognizing that a new build would better suit the couple’s vision of a comfortable and green home by the sea, Kevin drafted a sketch over the weekend, inspired by the cozy and quaint aesthetics representative of Harpswell.
“It doesn’t have as many ostentatious homes,” he says. “There are more of these fishing cottages, and I think that was the goal with the simplicity of what we drew. The main forms of the home are pretty slim to keep it like a cross-gable fishing shack. The forms were simple, and we modernized it with the window sizes and styles.”
This sort of project is emblematic of the firm’s ethos—so representative, in fact, that it’s now Kevin’s computer background. Kevin and his team focus on traditional New England forms while integrating modern amenities, paying respect to the local landscape in a way that harnesses contemporary technologies to construct more comfortable and eco-friendly homes.
The original house’s footprint bounded the new design. Surrounded by water on three sides, the home required careful attention to setbacks from the water. The homeowners were pleased with Kevin’s plans, which expanded the property’s usable areas by creatively incorporating a small outbuilding beyond the setback that would double as a storage shed and gym. “We made it a nice shed with windows,” he says. “You have to go outside to get to it, but it’s kind of a fun adventure.”
Building for resilience in this seaside landscape necessitated particular technical innovations. Working with builder Wright-Ryan and structural engineer Albert Putnam, they raised the new home on higher piers to accommodate the growing flood zone, and they built up the seawall with granite blocks to prevent the lawn from eroding.
Mere feet away from the property, the ocean presented as an obvious concern, but Kevin recognized that other elements would impact daily life inside the home.
“When the wind blows there, it howls,” Kevin says. “Sealing it up with good insulation, it’s fairly quiet and very comfortable in the home. That’s the goal.”
To minimize thermal bridging, the conductive cold that emanates through the stud bay, Kevin went above and beyond building code and installed exterior, thermal, rigid insulation on the entire house.
“People always ask what’s the benefit of spending this extra money to do, what they say, is green. Over time, you keep the energy costs down and use less fossil fuels. It’s more responsible. It’s a more comfortable home because you don’t have the common window drafts and leaky windows. When the wind blows, casement and awning windows seal it tighter.”
The homeowners were equally concerned about energy resources and installed solar panels on the roof.
Achieving a balance of refinement and performance is a central aim for Kevin Browne’s team. When it came to the interiors, the family wanted an open, airy, and bright space. Just as the home’s envelope negotiated tradition, comfort, and modern technologies, inside they sought something that could enter the conversation of contemporary New England.
“They love to cook, and they wanted a nice kitchen and a place to entertain in a cottage sort of way,” Kevin says. “It’s only 2,200 square feet.”
The original home was built around an awkward first floor plan, with the primary social spaces tucked away from the property’s magical views. Relocating to Harpswell from Boston during COVID, the couple wanted a space where they could host friends and work remotely, inspired by the area’s tranquility.
The property’s design met the family’s desire for simplicity, yet it also supported one of their core aims in moving to Harpswell from Boston—appreciating the beauty of Maine’s coast.
“They wanted something that was more in the open and looking out to the view from places where they spent a lot of time,” says Kevin. “You stand in the living room and, at high tide, you feel like you’re in a boat.” ▪
