What is a shingle style home? Everything you need to know about this classic coastal architectural style

This article details the journey of Alex Pires, a Washington attorney turned Dewey Beach restaurateur and nightclub owner, and his wife, Diane Cooley, in building their shingle-style cottage in Dewey Beach, Delaware. The project began when Pires purchased a 1920s oceanfront cottage six years prior. Initially, Pires attempted two renovations to bring the cottage in line with the shingle style, inspired by the architecture of Henry Hobson Richardson in his hometown of North Easton, Massachusetts. Dissatisfied with the renovations, Pires and Cooley decided to demolish the existing structure and build a new home that truly reflected their vision. They enlisted long-time friend and architect David Jones of David Jones Architects in Washington, D.C., for the design. The objective was to create a distinctive residence that stood out among the typical developer-built cottages in the area. Jones, who developed an appreciation for historic architecture throughout his career, embraced the challenge of designing a shingle-style dwelling. The project presented unique challenges, including editing Pires's numerous ideas and adhering to height restrictions while maintaining the style's verticality. To ensure historical accuracy and detail, Pires and Cooley researched shingle-style architecture extensively, including touring historic "cottages" in Newport, Rhode Island, designed by pioneers of the style. The shingle style, originating in the Boston area in the 1880s, is characterized by unpainted wooden shingles and a departure from Victorian fussiness, favoring unembellished surfaces, honesty of form, and purity of line. Interiors were designed with fewer, larger rooms to maximize sunlight. Pires compiled photographs of notable architectural details, such as the small, multi-paned windows of Richardson's William Watts Sherman house and the turret inspired by the Isaac Bell House in Newport, designed by McKim, Mead and White. The house, situated on a corner lot, features two facades: a broad gable with a deep porch facing the ocean to the east, and a more vertical tower and gable facing the street and beach path to the north. Forest green trim bands contrast with the sand-colored cedar shingles. Nautical motifs, such as a lighthouse-shaped newel post, are incorporated into the exterior. The main floor is elevated to protect against ocean surges, with breakaway walls on the lowest level for the garage and storage, a design element that allows water to flow through without compromising the structural integrity of the house. This functional and aesthetic approach prevents the common "stranded" appearance of many beach houses built on pilings. Finding a builder capable of executing the intricate design proved difficult, with three companies declining the project. Pires ultimately hired Bob Purcell, known for his craftsmanship, after admiring a home he built in Lewes. Purcell accepted the job, committing to Jones's insistence on an entirely wooden construction, which is rare in modern building practices. The detailed design earned architect David Jones a 2008 national Palladio Award for best new house under 5,000 square feet. For the interiors, Pires and Cooley collaborated with Pinehurst, North Carolina-based designer Brenda Lyne, impressed by her work at the Bellmoor Inn. While Cooley initially desired a less formal style, she appreciated Lyne's ability to combine elegance with durability suitable for a beach house. The interiors feature a neutral palette with blond Australian cypress flooring and white painted wood paneling. The main level's living-dining room, facing the beachfront, is furnished with white linen slipcovered sofas, Asian-themed accents in blue, and contemporary local art. A screened-in wrap-around porch includes a hot tub and ocean views. The kitchen, though compact, is highly functional with a bead board-covered island, cream-colored cabinets concealing appliances, and blue Bahia granite countertops. Pires's office, in contrast to the breezy aesthetic of the rest of the house, features dark walnut paneling, plantation shutters, and built-in library shelving, displaying his collection of boxing memorabilia. The second floor includes an office-sitting area, a guest room, a bedroom for Pires's daughter, and a master bedroom with ocean views from the turret. Pires reflects on the project, stating their goal was not merely to build a large house but a well-designed and crafted home, honoring American architectural history while creating a lasting, beloved residence. #HomeDesign #CoastalArchitecture #ShingleStyle #HistoricPreservation #DeweyBeach #ArchitecturalDesign #InteriorDesign #OceanfrontHome #CustomBuilt

Coastal design, a timeless aesthetic that bridges the gap between land and water, holds significant historical roots in the North Shore region. Its enduring versatility allows it to seamlessly integrate with modern 21st-century lifestyles. Tobin Shulman, AIA, Principal at SV Design, and Katy Finkenzeller, AIA, Associate at the firm, shed light on how coastal design principles are woven into their multidisciplinary architectural and interior design projects. Coastal design is fundamentally defined by its response to the unique opportunities and challenges presented by the meeting of ocean and land. This encompasses everything from the strategic placement of a home on its site to intricate details of the building envelope and overarching aesthetic choices. While various architectural styles fall under the coastal umbrella—from traditional shingle-style cottages to contemporary glass and steel structures—several core elements consistently define the genre. These include maximizing and framing views of the water, fostering a strong connection between indoor and outdoor spaces, and arranging living areas casually to face the ocean. A typical coastal design features a dramatic transformation from the front façade to the rear, opening up to expansive water vistas. Crucially, meticulous architectural detailing is employed to ensure the structure can withstand harsh coastal conditions such as storm surges, intense sun, wind-driven rain, snow, and high winds. Finkenzeller highlights that coastal design styles are highly localized, with a home suited for West Palm Beach differing significantly from one in Ipswich, Massachusetts. The enduring popularity of coastal design stems from a fundamental human attraction to the ocean's serenity and dramatic beauty, which enhances a person's connection to their specific location. The design varies not only by region but also by individual site characteristics, as the unique nature of the land dictates the most appropriate design and construction methods to optimize the living experience. For North Shore residences, the distinction between primary homes and vacation homes also influences design choices. A primary residence for a family necessitates a substantial mudroom for winter gear, ample bedrooms with generous closet space for each family member, and a kitchen and dining room equipped for large gatherings like Thanksgiving. These homes often include a two- or three-car garage. In contrast, a summer home for the same family might feature a simpler back entry for beach items, shared children's rooms with bunk beds, less formal closets, and family spaces tailored for leisure activities such as puzzle tables, reading nooks, and napping areas. The historical context and climate of the North Shore significantly impact coastal design. The region boasts a rich history of coastal architecture, tracing back to the late 19th-century summer cottages, many of which were shingle-style homes. Modern construction frequently incorporates elements reminiscent of these classic designs, such as deep porches, sweeping roofs, and prominent ocean-facing windows. Historically, deep shingle-style porches provided protection from summer solar gain and winter snow accumulation. White cedar shingles, a staple in New England construction since colonial times, are valued for their durability and low maintenance, developing a distinctive silver-grey patina when exposed to salt air. Finkenzeller notes that the grand coastal homes of Beverly and Manchester-by-the-Sea, built as summer retreats for the 19th-century elite, established a benchmark for the New England coastal home. Conversely, the port cities of Marblehead, Salem, Gloucester, and Newburyport exhibit a different type of coastal dwelling—the year-round sea captain's residence, built to endure harsh weather. These homes often feature widow's walks, now repurposed as roof decks offering prime views for events like Fourth of July fireworks. The choice of materials, colors, and textures in coastal design is driven by a desire to enhance the natural environment. The emphasis is on natural materials and material integrity; elements should appear authentic. Wood shingles retain their natural wood appearance, copper flashing develops a natural patina over time, and stone is often used for foundations. Windows are strategically placed and sized to frame water views, effectively turning the landscape into artwork within the home. Color palettes are inspired by the surrounding environment, such as the colors of coastal rock formations, and should reflect and amplify the natural light. This approach of bringing the outdoors in firmly grounds the house to its site, acknowledging the ever-changing colors of the sea, from blues and greens to grays and blacks. Coastal design demands a comprehensive approach, balancing aesthetics with engineering to create homes that truly enrich the lives of their inhabitants and seamlessly integrate with their unique coastal locations. #CoastalDesign #NorthShoreHomes #SVDesign #ArchitecturalDesign #InteriorDesign #ResidentialArchitecture #SustainableDesign #NewEngland

The article addresses the complex challenge of integrating modern ventilation requirements into traditionally designed eaves, particularly for shingle-style houses or historic restorations where aesthetics and period accuracy are paramount. Historically, 18th- and 19th-century homes did not require extensive ventilation systems due to the absence of indoor plumbing and modern heating, which meant less warm, moist air was generated internally. Any moisture that did arise could easily dissipate through the less-sealed building envelopes of the time. However, contemporary construction emphasizes tight building envelopes and high insulation levels, which, while energy-efficient, trap warm, moist air within the structure. This trapped moisture, driven by physics, migrates into attics and roof cavities, posing significant risks such as mold growth, mildew, rot on roof sheathing, and ice damming. To mitigate these issues, modern building codes mandate specific net free-ventilating areas, often requiring a total area equivalent to 1/300 of the space being ventilated, with a balanced distribution between low and high vents. Ridge or gable vents typically account for only 50% to 80% of this requirement, necessitating additional ventilation at the eaves. The challenge for architects and builders lies in concealing these essential modern vents within traditional eave designs, which often feature intricate classical motifs like crown and dentil moldings. The article highlights that standard solutions, such as continuous aluminum soffit vents, are often visually inappropriate for such architectural styles and may not even be feasible if the eave design lacks a conventional soffit. The author recounts a personal experience while designing a new shingle-style house, where the initial attempts to integrate vents by slotting or spacing existing molding profiles proved aesthetically unacceptable. This led to a deeper exploration of how to subtly incorporate ventilation without compromising the architectural integrity of the eave. The piece suggests that dentils, due to their inherent spacing and decorative nature, present a logical and historically sympathetic location for incorporating ventilation elements. While the article doesn't detail the specific solution developed, it sets the stage for a design that allows for proper airflow while maintaining the traditional appearance, emphasizing the need for creative and thoughtful integration of function and form in architectural detailing. #EaveDesign #HomeVentilation #TraditionalArchitecture #ShingleStyleHouse #HistoricRestoration #BuildingCodes #MoistureControl #DentilMolding #Roofing #ArchitecturalDetailing

Meandre, a Russian architecture firm, has developed a novel single-family house called 'Shelldom' located in the northern countryside of Spain. This design redefines traditional house layouts by inverting the typical space-planning approach. Instead of rooms branching off a central common area, the 'Shelldom' features a common corridor that encircles all rooms, which are conceptualized as separate, shell-shaped dwelling cells. This innovative layout ensures enhanced privacy for the bedrooms, as their windows open exclusively into an internal garden space. The transparent design of other rooms, such as the living and dining areas, incorporates glazing on all sides to maximize natural light. The orientation of the suites is specifically engineered to receive morning sunlight, while the living and dining areas are designed to capture evening sun. A key aspect of this layout is that while the common corridor offers direct access to a central courtyard, individual rooms do not, further contributing to the privacy of the internal spaces. The architectural design of 'Shelldom' arises from a blend of functional requirements and bioclimatic considerations, resulting in a distinct and memorable aesthetic. The exterior facade is characterized by a geometry of simple lines and arches, visually articulating the internal functions of the house. Each room is topped with a dome roof, which serves multiple purposes: it expands the internal volume, allows for increased penetration of natural light, and contributes to the unique silhouette of the structure. This project was submitted through Designboom's 'DIY submissions' feature, highlighting its innovative nature in residential architecture. The design philosophy behind 'Shelldom' prioritizes privacy, natural light, and a unique aesthetic derived from its functional and environmental integration. The house's distinctive form and innovative space-planning layout offer a fresh perspective on contemporary living in a countryside setting. #MeandreArchitecture #ShellShapedHouse #SpainArchitecture #InnovativeLayout #ResidentialDesign #BioclimaticArchitecture #NaturalLight #DomeRoof