Intertwined Living – Wainscott Residence by Bates Masi + Architects

Unification lies at the centre of  Bates Masi + Architects’s Wainscott Residence. Through its structure and materiality, the home connects the residing family to the landscape, art and heritage of the area, whilst also bringing them together through considered multigenerational living.

Bates Masi + Architects thoughtfully responds to the needs of the future home’s inhabitants, who came with a desire to display a significant art collection, to maintain views of the landscape and to house their two adult children as the family grows. This forms the basis of the home’s distinct structure, which is made of three individual volumes that operate just as seamlessly separately as they do together.

The home’s palette and materiality also connect to the calm, verdant seaside location in which it sits.

Wainscott Residence is inherently linked to the surrounding landscape, dominated by picturesque green lawns, trees and a distant skyline that gives a fresh, vibrant feel echoed in the home’s art collection. The southern aspect of the residence connects to the surroundings; every south-facing room opens up to the outside, with the doors pocketed into the walls so that the house can be completely unified with the landscape.

The home’s palette and materiality also connect to the calm, verdant seaside location in which it sits. Bronze and cedar are used on the exterior, designed to patina and weather with the family as they age and grow. Inside is a limited palette of materials such as limestone and plastered walls, and oak ceilings, floors, cabinetry and casework. The limited palette helps to unify the house and nurtures a sense of being present. Paul Masi, Partner at Bates Masi + Architects, says, “when you’re in the house you are immersed in nature, looking out to the views, focusing on the art and not necessarily focusing on the architecture.”

Bates Masi + Architects deems the house as an heirloom by considering the fabric of the area and the immediate and future needs of the residence.

The family’s passion is integral to the home’s overall impression and acts as yet another way to unify the residence. The inclusion of an “art cube”– a glass cube where various artworks are displayed – offers a distinctive space and sits as the connecting point between the home’s various volumes to become a hub where the family come together.

Bates Masi + Architects deems the house as an heirloom by considering the fabric of the area and the immediate and future needs of the home. “For us, it’s important to acknowledge the culture of a place but also consider the current times and who will be living there,” says Paul. Wainscott Residence intertwines family, art and landscape into a layered, functional and unified whole. It is this sense of cohesion that shapes the house in terms of both its circulation as well as its form, creating a home that will continue to adapt and evolve in line with nature and the family.