Maple Shade

At first glance, the challenge of this site seemed straightforward: place a home between an established cul-de-sac and Bristol’s historic Route 114. But the site presented a more interesting architectural question—where is the front of the house when the property effectively has two?

The address naturally establishes the cul-de-sac as the primary front, yet the property’s relationship to Route 114 creates a second, equally visible face. Rather than choosing one and treating the other as the back, the design embraces the site’s dual orientation.

The solution was to establish a strong architectural axis through the center of the parcel. That axis organizes the plan, divides the site conceptually, and becomes the primary ridge line of the roof. Perpendicular to the ridge, two large, wrapping farmers’ porches extend toward each side of the property, creating a sense of arrival and welcome from both directions. Each porch has its own character while sharing a common language of materials and detailing.

The organizing axis continues inside, becoming the backbone of the home’s circulation. Entry from the cul-de-sac leads through the center of the house toward a second entry addressing Route 114.

Rather than defining one side as the front and the other as the back, the architecture gives both sides a sense of arrival. The result is a home shaped not only by its program, but by the unusual relationship between the site, the street, and the landscape around it.