New Hampshire Home July-August 2024 - 60

t's a story often told: Homebuyers purchase a place
and think all it really needs is a new kitchen. Then, that
becomes just the starting point for a bigger renovation
and before you know it, the whole house is torn down
and a new one built in its place.
This is how a stunning, modern home on Lake Winnipesaukee
came to be. An existing house on the Wolfeboro Neck
property fell short of meeting the new owners' needs and
desires ( " All the major systems were at the end of life, " says the
homeowner), so they set out to build a new one based on a lake
house in Banff, Canada, that they'd seen and admired. They
were especially drawn to the Banff house's distinctive wavy
roof and were excited to have the shape duplicated for them.
Beyond that one architectural element, their specific requests
for the residence were few.
What they were sure of, however, was that they wanted to
go with a combined design/build firm and they wanted the
company to be local. Several such firms ended up on a list
of potential partners, and in the end Beckwith Builders, in
Wolfeboro, was selected to take on the project, with senior
architect Andrew Moore leading the team.
Even though this was the first modern design he'd undertaken,
Moore was up for the challenge. " Once we got on board
with the roof idea, it all came together, " he says. " The project
started off as an iteration of the three-story house that had
been there - one with a more traditional gable roof, with kind
of a swoop to it. We transformed that into something more
modern. " The team used the walls of the existing foundation
but added to them, making them a foot and a half taller to add
more height to the basement, which is now used as a TV/play
area and fitness room.
Unlike many Winnipesaukee dwellers who have large
extended families they want to accommodate with a multitude
of bedrooms and gathering spaces, these homeowners weren't
looking for a huge house (there's an existing guest house on
the property). An open-concept main living space with floor-toceiling
windows suited them fine and aligned with their penchant
for modern, clean-lined interiors, an aesthetic exemplified
by the push-to-open, frameless cabinetry from Zarse Custom
Cabinet Company combined with soapstone countertops.
Besides the kitchen, the mid-century-influenced main living
area has a loft space and a floating staircase. In addition, there
are three bedrooms and four baths.
A notable feature, the wine room, holds bottles from Napa
Valley, Tuscany and Bordeaux. " We collect wine whenever we
travel, " says the homeowner. " Years later, when we go to drink
it, we remember the trips we were on. " Husband and wife
have collected art from their travels as well - places like
New Orleans, Colorado, Canada and Croatia.
58 New Hampshire Home
From the main living area, the panoramic views
of Lake Winnipesaukee are second to none.
Itself a piece of art, the underside of the wavy roof takes
on a sculptural quality that's further accentuated by linear
LED light strips. Lit up at night, the vaulted space - 14 feet
at its highest point - is as dramatic as the lake view is during
the day.
Framing the view, the wall of glass that so effectively
brings the outdoors in could have been a liability from a
heating and cooling standpoint had Moore been less rigorous
in his approach. But he did a thorough sun study of the space
using 3D modeling software on-site to assess how far the sun
New Hampshire Home July-August 2024

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