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To Maximize the amount of light in the homes they build, architects Lisa Botticelli and Ray Pohl frequently create courtyard shapes and other non-box forms that reduce the width of the house. The husband-and-wife team often stretch out a home's square footage into an arrangement of "bars," such as a courtyard or L-shaped layout, to increase the building's transparency. Each room then has at least two outside walls, often three, so there are more windows and more light. Cross-ventilation is greater, and there's a courtyard, or a "transition" space, that can serve as an indoor/outdoor living area. "There is a premium attached to building this kind of house because there's more labor and carpentry involved," Pohl said, "but the net effect is a much nicer house." "When you build a courtyard shape," Botticelli added, "you end up with rooms on the end of the bars that have windows on all three walls. So when you're in the rooms you almost feel as if you're in a small cottage. Very often they end up being the most successful rooms in the house." For Botticelli and Pohl, designing with light in mind is more than just an important architectural element. "Having that kind of airy quality is probably the most important part of designing a house, especially here, because people come to Nantucket to make a connection to nature and light and to feel a sense of comfort in their lives," said Pohl. "It's absolutely about quality of life." The two say their designs are also sensitive to the open and casual way people entertain here, which usually involves indoor/outdoor cocktail parties rather than formal sit-down dinners. In their day-to-day life on Nantucket, people dress in shorts and light fabrics rather than business suits or the clothes they wear to work every day. People want their island homes to reflect those differences. "Our clients often tell us they want a combination of open and private areas," said Botticelli. "Most people want an open kitchen - to a dining room, to a living room - so they get the most out of a nice view and can still talk to their guests while they're preparing a meal. But then they also want private, separate spaces for bedrooms or a study or den." Botticelli calls this combination of open and compartmentalized spaces a mix of contemporary and traditional approaches. The net effect is a light, "cottagey" design, which the architects finish with simple but traditionally inspired interior elements, such as rows of double-hung windows with fixed muntins and simple details around the rim. |