Project Spotlight: A Sustainable Custom Build on a Dune

Nestled atop a dune overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, this home follows the natural contours of the environment. The beautiful view afforded by the elevated position also exposes the home to all the weather the Atlantic has to offer. Award-winning, Sustainable Custom Home Builders Thoughtforms collaborated closely with architect Michael Price to balance the trade-offs between aesthetic and a robust building envelope to withstand exposure to the weather of the Atlantic. 

The resulting concrete, metal, glass and wood exterior shelters the bright and warm interior spaces while preserving beautiful views and the elemental feel of the home. The board-formed concrete that transitions seamlessly between interior and exterior spaces, blurring the distinction between indoors and outdoors, was painstakingly crafted with hand-lined forms, where the impression of the grain of the wood is evident throughout.

As our built environment moves toward healthier, more comfortable, all-electric systems, on-site power generation is becoming a common component of our homes. In this instance, solar panels are hidden from view on the flat roof but still enjoy unfettered access to the sun above. With advances in panel design and associated production efficiencies – as well as incentives – this system, like others, pays for itself, becoming a net-positive investment in the property.

"What we learned while building this home is carried forward so we are ‘always building better,’" says Thoughtform's President Mark Doughty.