Warren Point
Little Compton, RI

This site’s topography is an anomaly within the usual low, flat landscape of Warren’s Point. This unique landscape results from manmade landforms covering a World War II era bunker and a military installation in the field. The bunker vents bordering the mound are celebrated through a repurposed garden wall, while the new house’s main level, sited atop the bunker mound, utilizes this steep topography to create a lower level walkout. 

As the mound ascends, the site’s materials transition from natural to industrial to reveal its artificiality and history of the site. A board-form concrete wall was added between the three bunker vents, its top eroded by pneumatic hammers, reflecting the bunker mound’s slope.  The dry-laid stone wall creates a podium that demarcates the boundary between natural and manmade. A palette of indigenous shrubs, trees, and a cool season meadow extend the landscape’s relationship to the field beyond.

Collaborators
Michele Foster Associates

Photography
Ngoc Doan