The Glasshouse in Chilmark, Massachusetts Real Estate Design, American Residential Architecture Images

The Glasshouse in Chilmark, Massachusetts

Martha’s Vineyard Residence Renovation Project, USA refurb design by Erin Pellegrino.

Nov 13, 2017

Location: Belmont, Massachusetts, USA

Architect: Erin Pellegrino

The Glasshouse in Chilmark

The Glasshouse, Chilmark, on Martha’s Vineyard

The Glasshouse on Martha’s Vineyard was originally designed by Chester Wisniewski, an apprentice to Frank Lloyd Wright, professor at Cooper Union for over two decades, and founder of Davis, Brody and Wisniewski (now Davis, Brody, and Bond). Its renovation is a constant process, as maintaining a glass building on the island is no easy task. The result, however, is a beautiful living space that blurs the boundaries between outside and inside.

The layout is rational and functional to maximize utility and the connection to the exterior landscape. All of the private bedrooms open to an interior courtyard; this provides the interior circulation path amongst Japanese maple trees and a screened-in private garden. One makes use of the wrap-around interior and exterior porch frequently, living does not happen solely within the house, but within nature as well.
At sunset, the interior surfaces reflect the orange, red and yellow hues of the sky.

What was the brief?
To renovate the kitchen and living area of a three bedroom vacation home on Martha’s Vineyard.

How is the project unique?
The client wanted to renovate the kitchen and living area of an existing three-bedroom home on Martha’s Vineyard.

What were the key challenges?
The house is built on a marshland, with single-pane glass and all timber construction. This poses several issues of enclosure, environmental control, and longevity. Making sure the house was able to support the renovation, and that the new additions to the space would not compete with the ethos of the home were all high priority. We worked closely with the client to be sure the project would fit in well with the house.

Also, since Martha’s Vineyard is an island, coordinating the project deliveries, install, and sustainably sourced materials all took a greater attention to detail.