A Shingle Style House Hanover NH

by Smith & Vansant Architects PC

Situated on a hillside with long-range views to Mt. Ascutney, this Hanover home is a reinterpretation of the classic shingle-style houses of the late 19th century. It features high quality craftsmanship and materials throughout, with an emphasis on longevity of finishes, structure, and mechanical systems. This house adopts the inventive sculptural massing of its predecessors and offers traditionally detailed rooms, but places a greater emphasis on interior openness, daylight, and energy efficiency than did its Arts & Crafts forebears.

The owners desired a comfortable family home that, at the same time, could be well-suited for entertaining. This house showcases a range of local building materials and the work of many skilled Upper Valley craftspersons, including timberframers, masons and furniture makers. With its generously-scaled spaces and array of specialized rooms, managing the visual scale of the house to fit its site was a design challenge. The challenge lay in giving the building its irregular roofline and by creative organization of the three wings. Furthermore, the exterior textures, shadow lines, and subdued color palette allow the house to blend comfortably into its wooded surroundings.