Spa Creek House

 On a narrow irregularly shaped lot fronting Spa Creek in Annapolis, Maryland this house slips between its neighbors and emerges buoyantly as it lifts towards the creek’s edge. The house’s preeminent focus is on its promenade and connection to the waterfront. The desire for connectivity is equally about views and physical access. In order to set the stage for this, the program elements are layered across the site with “private” support spaces arrayed towards the street and along the landward property lines. The more “public” living spaces are dispersed closer to the water. The house’s preeminent focus is on its promenade, as well as visual and physical connections to the waterfront. The functional distinction between “public” and “private” is made diagrammatically legible through the massing strategy and amplified by material contrast. Designed for a couple with a passion for art and sailing, the house becomes a canvas for both these interests simultaneously.

Location
Spa Creek, Annapolis MD

Area
2,800 sft

Awards
2020 Annapolis Home and Design 1st Place
2019 AIA Chesapeake Bay Honor Award
2019 AIA Maryland Merit Award
2018 AIA Baltimore Design Award

The entry is punctuated by a raw steel canopy that links both wood and metal boxes. The contrast between these complementary volumes is amplified by the subtle angle with which the wood box shifts to follow the property line, running along the southern edge of the lot.  This allows the living spaces on both levels to open up expansively, rendering them spatially dynamic.