An abandoned yacht club on the edge of the bay in Blue Hill, Maine, had stood derelict for years, exposed to the coastal climate. Built in 1919, the structure had undergone a series of interventions after the club relocated to its current home in 1946. Elliott Architects’ approach involved restoring the building’s historical memory while modernizing the early 20th-century structure for residential use.
Restoring the foundation and structure
Built partially on clay, the foundation had deteriorated, with visible settling in the structure above. The building had also not been designed to meet present floodplain regulations. To stabilize it, the stone walls required buttressing and underpinning.
The superstructure was removed and the club room was deconstructed piece by piece, with each element labeled and numbered. The chimney was also dismantled, its components carefully laid out for later reassembly.
After the foundation was reinforced and repointed, a new wood and steel superstructure was erected above it, following the exact shape and profile of the original yacht club. Within this shell, the club room was rebuilt together with its chimney.
Old and new
The new construction introduces an architectural language that relates to the old while remaining clearly of the present. Two key changes helped transform the former club building into a residence while retaining its connection to the past. In both cases, old and new remain legible as distinct elements. A corner of the club room was replaced with large sliding glass panels, while two glass dormers were added to bring daylight into the previously dark interior.
Together, these interventions allow sunlight to reach deep into the house during the day. At night, the illuminated building becomes a quiet coastal presence, recalling its former life as a yacht club.
Material atmosphere and indoor well-being
The design engages the senses through its use of materials, texture, light, planting, and sound. Tactile materials are used throughout, while the play of light and shadow shapes the interior experience.
Hay-scented ferns and other aromatic plants bring elements of the surrounding landscape closer to the interior. The sound of the ocean against the foundation also remains part of the daily experience of the house, connecting domestic life to the rhythms of the bay.
The project is designed to blur the boundary between inside and outside. By drawing planting close to the house and increasing permeability in the facade, the design creates a direct connection to the surrounding landscape while supporting daylight, views, and access to fresh air.
Radiant heating is used throughout the house to support thermal comfort, reduce drafts, and avoid impacts on indoor air quality. All finishes are zero- or low-VOC water-based finishes, off-gassing materials were eliminated, and direct access to fresh air is provided in all spaces.
Native planting and site ecology
The landscape design supports well-being through contact with trees and other planting. All plantings are native species and require no irrigation — more of the site was vegetated at the completion of construction than at the start.
The new structure, a charred siding-clad garage at the top of the hill, contains a green roof that replaces what would otherwise be an impervious surface. Together with native planting, increased vegetation, and the reuse of existing site materials, the landscape strategy promotes biodiversity.
A variety of outdoor spaces allows for gathering, quiet retreat, and daily movement through the site. With vehicular access to the house removed, arrival and movement around the property take place on foot.
Landscape and shared access
Although the project is now a private residence, the landscape continues to support an old walking path that crosses the site and has long been used by neighbors. Rather than closing off this route, the site plan reestablishes it by limiting vehicular access. The clients have encouraged neighbors to continue using the path as part of their daily walks.
Flood resilience and passive comfort
Flooding is the greatest environmental risk to the site. In response, the foundation was buttressed to resist wave action and made permeable so that water can drain through. All utilities were also placed above the 100-foot floodplain elevation.
The house is designed to breathe during high-temperature events and in the event of power loss. It is also arranged to support passive heating. A backup generator can provide power to the house during an outage.
Sustainability through reuse, resilience, and low-impact materials
The Old Yacht Club’s sustainability approach is grounded in the reuse of the existing structure, including its stone foundation, reducing the need for new material and earthwork. Material selection focused on renewable or recyclable content, durability, local availability, and the avoidance of known toxins, including engineered wood framing, local wood siding and flooring, and limited PVC use.
Operational measures include a new code-compliant thermal envelope, radiant heating, electric heat pumps for second-floor cooling, shaded first-floor spaces, and natural ventilation. The landscape strategy supports biodiversity and water management through native planting, increased vegetation, a green roof, reduced impermeable surfaces, low-flow plumbing fixtures, and on-site wastewater treatment.
Seasonality, and daily experience
The changing path of the sun, the passing of the seasons, and the presence of nearby wildlife contribute to an experience of the house that shifts throughout the day and year. Its character lies in smaller moments: a view from the kitchen window toward the ferns outside, the smell of the ocean breeze, and dappled light moving through the windows.
The house is not bold or overbearing, nor does it attempt to dominate its setting. Instead, it shifts attention toward the landscape and coast, creating a quieter form of architecture shaped by observation and daily life.
