Gloucester House is a 1600-square-foot residence for a couple in their late seventies—one a retired entrepreneur and the other a working nurse. The couple has lived in a compound across the street since they were in their thirties. The Hammond Compound comprises four houses designed by architect Eleanor Raymond. Raymond was a sole practioner prolific in New England in the 1930s and 1940s.

The lot across the street faces the marsh and has a wetlands setback taking up more than half of the property. The design starts with the massing of one of the compound’s houses and cuts it in half to fit the new odd-shaped lot. It maximizes the building footprint to accommodate the residents, who find it increasingly difficult to climb the stairs of their current home.

Location: Gloucester, MA

Program: Single-family residential

Client: 70-something couple

Date: 2022 -

Model and Photography: Jacqueline Wong, Daniel Haidermota

Publications: Domus 1083, Log 58