estes/twombly architects, newport, r.i.
This summer-cottage addition and renovation in Jamestown, R.I., won the judges' approval for its sensitive weaving of old and new elements. Architect James Estes' clients had asked him to add on two guest bedrooms and to improve the existing, 1,060-square-foot residence. Rather than attach the new guest bedrooms to the old house, Estes designed a separate building for them. A covered boardwalk joins the building to the main structure. The strategy preserves the charm and scale of the existing cottage and ensures that the new wing offers its guests total privacy. "The architect could easily have glommed the addition onto the original house," said a judge. "Instead, he created a little compound."
For the renovation portion of the project, Estes removed interior walls and flat ceilings to open up the old building's interior. The revised plan highlights a lovely old fireplace that now serves as the main room's centerpiece.
project architect: James Estes, AIA, Estes/Twombly Architects
general contractor: Walter Pilz, Darlington Home Builders, Providence, R.I.
project size: 1,060 square feet before; 1,360 square feet after
site size: 0.22 acre
construction cost: Withheld
Photographer: Warren Jagger
