Surrounded by wetlands and bordered by a bend in the Concord River in Eastern Massachusetts, the Silver Hill residence is defined by its site in both form and concept.

The potential environmental impact of demolishing and rebuilding the house inspired the design team to implement a construction waste plan. Many items were reused, recycled or donated.

The landscape architect was a critical component of the design team, which generated an integrated design of building and site. In response to the wetland and river landscape, filtration plants were chosen and strategically located on the site to filter the water prior to flowing back into the wetland system. The filtration bands add a unique aesthetic and functional layer to the composition of the overall project.

An existing marker in the landscape, a linear canal runs through the wetland to the river, creating a clear axial path used in the organization of the house. The composition of the house emphasizes the intimate relationship that exists between the river landscape and the site through framed views. The exterior is a combination of carefully selected materials chosen for their natural hues, durability, sustainability and low maintenance. The colors reference the surrounding landscape and the varying materials differentiated in three volumes.

The wetland path and marsh vista guide the procession through the home, connecting the spaces and their relationship to the context beyond. The existing foundation and the wetlands restricted the plan from being expanded in any direction. Therefore the plan had to be extruded vertically which was structured into these three volumes. A low canopy marking the entry to the public space, while the kitchen, family, sleeping and bathing spaces are kept private in their own volume. An interstitial space, containing the stairs and circulation, is the connector between old and new geometries. This space references the axis and the canal carved through the wetland landscape.