Boston Common - Niche Media - A side of Boston that's anything but common.
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"no matter where you sit, you get a better view of the beach and the ocean." —david newton Southern ViewS A custom-built radius porch offers a bright world for enter- taining and relaxation. A rch itect Joh n MacDona ld (morehouse macdonald and associates, 3 bow st., Lexington, 781-861-9500; morehouse macdonald.com) initially thought he was designing a classic captain's house. His clients had purchased a Cape Cod site with expansive southern vistas and a slope leading down to the ocean. Their new 10,000-square-foot summer home would accommodate a large extended family, and a house-width back porch would maximize warm-weather entertaining. A traditional design would do the job, MacDonald thought. "But it morphed into something more dynamic and more open-air," he says. While you do get the sense of a classic captain's house in the front, the back is much more distilled, emphasizing the views and modern indoor/outdoor living. The centerpiece of the rear is the 1,300-square-foot outdoor radius porch, which recedes back toward the house at the ends. A radius porch ha s some big adva nt ages, says Dav id New ton of C.H. Newton Builders (549 w. falmouth hwy., west falmouth, 508-548-1353; chnewton.com). "No matter where you sit on a radius porch, you get a better view of the beach and the ocean," says Newton. The curve also helps soften the visual impact of the porch on the surrounding landscape, executed by Horiuchi & Solien Landscape Architects (200 main st. no. 202, falmouth, 508-540-5320). A few steps dow n f rom t he porch, you see more of MacDonald's design ingenuity. Typically, when standing on a porch, you have to walk to the railing to look down at the pool. But this pool platform is raised up a half level and pulled out from the house. Two f lying staircases connect the platform to the porch. The result is that the view to the ocean is more lay- ered, it's easier to bring food and drinks to the pool and have conversations, and a promenade is created beneath the porch. The porch is designed to accommodate multiple activities at one time. MacDonald achieved that by having the first- f loor walls push and pull onto the porch, creating natural carve-aways for seating groups. The fireplace end of the porch is suited for lounging, while the other side has outdoor cook- ing facilities and dining space. The porch roof line, vaulted at the edges and f lat in the middle, along with the Douglas fir beams atop painted beadboard, also help to break up the space. The clients even enjoy the porch from inside the house, thanks to sets of stacking sliding glass doors that completely open up the back of the house to the ocean. "The beauty of this porch," MacDonald says, "is it gives you options." Designed by John MacDonald, this 1,300-square-foot radius porch features two flying staircases to the pool below, creating a layered view. Materials Matter The right gear for New England porches. Exterior spaces take a beating, es- pecially in coastal locations subject to hurricanes and heavy snow, not to mention red wine, wet dogs, and feet on the furniture. Look to these clever building and furnishing mate- rials to make summer living easy. thermal bluestone. Indigenous to New York and Pennsylvania, this bluestone is widely employed for exterior fooring all over New England. The stone's surface is heated to give it a uniform look and color, and it holds up to saltwater and doesn't get slippery when wet. S + H Construction, 26 New St., Cambridge, 617-876- 8286; shconstruction.com Switch glass skylights. On a shady porch, you sometimes miss the sun. Switch glass offers the best of both worlds. It's completely clear, but the fip of a switch triggers an electric current that turns the glass opaque, meaning you still get the light but not the heat. LTI Group, 14 Federico Dr., Pittsfeld, 413-637-5001; ltisg.com outdoor fabrics. "Performance" fabrics, as in Robert Allen and Sunbrella's Open Air cushions (pic- tured), offer sun resistance, color retention, and water repellency— making them indispensable for porch and patio use. Robert Allen, Boston Design Center, 1 Design Center Place #200; donghia.com continued on page 110 bostoncommon-magazine.com 109