Yarmouth Wood Shop

A High-Performance Workshop and Office in Yarmouth, Maine

The Challenge

The clients needed two distinct spaces under one roof: a quiet, dust-free office for her and a fully equipped woodworking shop for him. The challenge was in flooding the workshop with natural light without creating glare, excessive heat loss, or turning it into an expensive glass box—all while keeping sound, vibration, and dust from disrupting the office next door. 

The Design Solution

I created a custom clerestory window system using translucent polycarbonate sheets that run along three sides of the workshop. Positioned under the eave to eliminate glare, this field-assembled detail provides even, diffused light throughout the day while maintaining excellent insulation. The design leaves the timber structure visible from the inside, creating an honest expression of how the building is made while adding that wow factor. 

To separate the two spaces, I used an isolated slab foundation and double-stud wall construction at the connection point. On the exterior, subtle shifts in siding profiles and finishes distinguish each area while maintaining visual cohesion. 

The building is nestled into the trees on the corner of a lot, away from the street. South-facing windows paired with a deep eave and deciduous trees provide natural shading in the summer while allowing direct light in the winter. We preserved existing trees close to the building envelope so the structure feels embedded in the woods rather than imposed upon them. 

Energy Performance

The project achieved a blower door test result of 0.43 ACH50—better than Passive House standards—through dense-packed cellulose and wood fiber insulation, triple-glazed windows, and meticulous air sealing. This level of performance is rare in code-built construction, which typically tests at 3-5 ACH50.

What Makes This Project HellBent

The clerestory window exemplifies risk-taking design that delivers results. It wasn’t something the client could order off the shelf—it required a detail-oriented builder willing to execute a custom assembly in the field. The single-pitch roof form is out of character for a neighborhood full of gables, but elegant wood details and subdued materials ground the building in its environment. Plus, the exposed timber and steelwork is an addition inspired by my travels to Japan and the architecture found there. Another designer may not have the same experience to impact their designs, or they might simply choose to play it safe. 

As the sole architect from concept to construction, I maintained a holistic view while remaining nimble enough to respond quickly to client feedback and field issues. When designing custom details, I’d research products and assemblies while consulting with the builder on their preferred construction methods–resulting in solutions that were better looking, more affordable, and easier to construct. 

This project reflects both the clients’ aspirations and my architectural vision—spaces tailored for this client and only this client, with every detail carefully considered and executed. 

Details

Project size: 1,000 sf
Building shell: R-10 slab, R-30 walls, R-50 roof, triple-glazed Marvin Elevate windows
Systems: separate aerothermal heat pump systems, ERV, heat pump water heater

Architect: Hellbent Design Studio
Landscape Architect: Joshua Tompkins
Contractor: Emerald Builders
Timbers: Benjamin + Co.
Photographer: Irvin Serrano