What began as a residential development project resulted in one of our firm’s most personal pieces of architecture. Michael McKinley and Associates, LLC was hired to design a new Shingle Style residence for a site in Watch Hill, Rhode Island which was originally a Mellon estate, landscaped by a firm established by Frederick Law Olmsted.

• Watercolor rendering of renovations and additions to an historic Watch Hill cottage.

• Watercolor rendering of the new Shingle Style residence.

When the historic cottage sold quickly, the development approach to the new shingle style home was shelved and the project became a custom home design for our clients. The couple, who had meticulously restored a 1950’s ranch house in Sea Island Georgia, sent us to stay in their home to get a sense of their lifestyle and their tastes… a mix of modern, traditional and Asian elements. The design for the new home combines traditional features of the shingle style with clean and simple lines of more modern architecture.

• West elevation of the new Watch Hill Shingle Style residence.

The homeowner’s friends frequently comment on how the new shingle style residence is such a close reflection of its owners. It’s an ironic twist for a project that started out as a real estate development.