What Makes a Home - History & Materials
by Meghan McNamara
When it comes to where and how you build your home there are many things to consider. What is the historical significance of the site? What are the contextual materials of the area? How to take cues from the vernacular architecture of the area? We look at how all of these informed the design decisions at Landmark Lane.
Pigeon Hill, one of the highest points on Cape Ann, can be found on historic maps dating back to the 1700s as a sea marker for Massachusetts. This hill is a prime example of a drumlin, an oval-shaped hill of glacial drift with a gentle slope on one side and a steeper slope down the back. Landmark Lane takes in the view down the leeward slope to the ocean beyond.
Granite plays a significant role in the history of Rockport. The lower slopes of Pigeon Hill were once the center of the quarry industry of Cape Ann. Additionally, granite fieldstones deposited by the glacier as it formed Pigeon Hill were used to border the fields and lanes of this once pastoral landscape. We are finding ways to work with the local stone to contextualize the project and connect the landscape to the history of this property.
Cedar siding is a material commonly found in coastal New England vernacular buildings. Cedar shingles stand up to the harsh coastal climates, resist rot, and weather well. In addition to the natural benefits of this material, we wanted a contextual relationship to the vernacular buildings in the area at #landmarklane.
Taking a contemporary spin on the material, we clad the house in ship-lap vertical white cedar siding. We kept the surface rough, allowing the texture to give character to the house, and applied a light stain that will help it weather more uniformly while still allowing the character to read through.
Pigeon Hill
Pigeon Hill was the sea mark for Massachusetts on coastal maps dating as far back as 1734. The hill was formed by a glacier and is a prime example of a drumlin, an oval-shaped hill of glacial drift. The lee side slopes gently up from the coast and is full of glacial till. The stoss side has a steeper slope and denotes where the glacier was coming from and meeting resistance. As the glacier continued towards the east, it smoothed over the landform.
A Room With A View
A Room With A View
View from the home out over Pigeon Hill onto Sandy Bay.