Waldoboro Addition

A Deep Energy Retrofit and Sculptural Addition in Waldoboro, Maine

The Challenge

The clients wanted to expand and modernize their 1980s gambrel-roof home near the river in Waldoboro. The challenge in this was finding a formal language that belonged with the original building without mimicking it—how do you add to a traditional gambrel form in a way that feels cohesive and contemporary? 

The Design Solution

Rather than trying to replicate the original, we designed a sculptural bedroom wing clad in dark cedar clapboards that acts as a bold counterpoint to the original home, which was reclad in lighter cedar shingles. The two distinct forms are connected by a dramatic yellow entryway that opens to an expansive glass wall overlooking the meadow and river beyond. 

The stylistic contrast between forms actually highlights each—the traditional gambrel reads more clearly against the contemporary addition, and vice versa. They knit together at different moments in space with an honesty of materials and warmth to each form, even though they’re architecturally distinct. 

Energy Performance

This project included a comprehensive deep energy retrofit plus a high-performance construction for the addition. 

Details

Project size: 4,600 sf
Building shell: R-20 slab, R-40 walls, R-60 roof, triple-glazed windows
Systems: aerothermal heat pump system, ERV for fresh air, Photovoltaic roof panels

Architect: Kaplan Thompson Architects
Project Architect: Jamie Broadbent - contributed to project while an employee at Kaplan Thompson Architects
Landscape Architect: Cowles Studio Landscape Architecture
Builder: Josh Howell Construction
Photographer: Irvin Serrano