Cooper Residence / Gwathmey Siegel Kaufman Architects | Classics on Architecture Lab

Architects: Gwathmey Siegel Kaufman Architects
Year: 1968
Photography: Bill Maris
City: Orleans, Massachusetts
Country: USA

The Cooper Residence in Orleans, Massachusetts, designed by Gwathmey Siegel Kaufman Architects, addresses the challenge of creating a family home with panoramic views of the bay and ocean. The design separates the parents’ master bedroom suite from the children’s bedrooms and includes a garage and boat storage structure. The public spaces—living room, dining room, and kitchen—are vertical dividers between the two private areas.

Cooper residence - gwathmey siegel kaufman architects - © bill maris
Cooper Residence – Gwathmey Siegel Kaufman Architects – © Bill Maris

Cooper Residence, a modernist residential project designed by Gwathmey Siegel Kaufman Architects in Orleans, Massachusetts, offers panoramic views of the bay and ocean. The design emphasizes transparency, extension, and volumetric interrelationships, reflecting the principles of modernist architecture. The residence features a distinct separation between the parents’ master bedroom suite and the children’s bedrooms, which are positioned alongside a playroom on the lower level. Integrating a garage and boat storage structure, the residence maximizes functionality. Public spaces like the living room, dining room, and kitchen are vertical dividers between private areas. The entry is marked by a ramp/bridge leading into the living level, highlighting the nautical theme. The master bedroom includes a balcony overlooking the living space and terrace, with a semicircular deck extending over the dining area.

Entry to the residence is via a ramp/bridge from the parking area and garage into the living level. The master bedroom features a balcony that overlooks the double-height living space and terrace, extending into a semicircular deck above the dining area. The children’s rooms, designed dormitory-style, are adjacent to a major playroom on the lower level, all opening to the grade.

The plan/section overlay, materiality, and manipulation of transparency, extension, and volumetric interrelationships resemble the Gwathmey Residence. The site’s unique location, access, and sense of being surrounded by water emphasize the nautical quality.

Project Gallery
Cooper residence - gwathmey siegel kaufman architects - © bill maris
Cooper Residence – Gwathmey Siegel Kaufman Architects – © Bill Maris
Project Location

Address: 35 Bufflehead Ln, Orleans, MA 02653, United States

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