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 man made land forms covering a World War II era bunker and a military installation in the field. The bunker vents bordering the mound are celebrated through a re-purposed garden wall, while the new house’s main level, sited atop the bunker mound, utilizes this steep topography to create a lower level walkout.
The site’s materials transition from natural to industrial as the mound ascends to reveal its artificiality and the 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 man made. 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