Cousins River Residence
ABOUT
Client Private Residence
Typology Residential
Location Freeport, Maine
Year 2016
Design Team Matthew O’Malia, Gunther Kragler
Consultants Structural Engineer: Albert Putnam Associates
Contractor GO Logic
EUI -5.57
AWARDS
AIA Maine, 2016, Citation Award
Fine Home Building House Awards, 2016, Editors Choice
FEATURED IN
Arch Daily
Curbed
Dezeen
Fine Homebuilding
Maine Home + Design
Dwell
Sited on a bluff overlooking the Cousins River, in southern Maine, this three-bedroom private residence in its form, detailing, and execution, expresses themes that are central to OPAL’s approach to design and construction: a modern reinterpretation of regional vernacular themes, a comprehensive site response, and a deep integration of building performance and aesthetics.
The main house comprises a simple bar, oriented to take advantage of pine forest views, natural daylighting, and solar gain. Common spaces and the primary bedroom rise to a sloping shed roof and open to the south via a glazed wall that is deeply recessed to provide shading from high-angle summer sunlight. The entry, secondary bedrooms, and bathrooms line the north side of the building under a lower, opposing shed roof.
Custom casework in ash and Baltic birch—including a built-in day bed in the living room and clothing cabinetry in the bedrooms—provides efficient storage and spatial separation in the open plan. A bookcase backed with etched glass panels divides the bedroom hall from the living room space, admitting south light deep into the house. Along with the open interior, the exposed concrete floor is a critical component of the home’s energy performance, helping to maintain stable interior temperatures throughout the year.
Modifications to the predesigned plan include a timber-framed screened porch at the house’s principal entry, a separate garage that echoes the main house’s shed profile, and a flat-roofed walkway that connects the two structures. The garage, decks, and interior spaces share a common floor elevation that hugs the surrounding grade, providing barrier- free access and fostering an intimate connection between the house and its site.
