US firm Caleb Johnson Studio has raised this cedar-clad coastal dwelling in Maine on wooden stilts so that the "landscape is allowed to flow under the house".

Called In the Dunes, the project was created for a New York-based couple who are nearing retirement. Located in the town of Wells in southern Maine, the home occupies a beachfront site overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

The house sits between a large, shingle-style residence and a one-room beach cottage, and is designed to respect the context.
"This home was influenced by the vernacular coastal structures that can be found dotting the Maine coast," Caleb Johnson Studio said in a project description. "The building was simplified to pure geometric forms and then manipulated and modernised to take advantage of the sea and marsh views."
The residence consists of two gabled forms of differing heights, which are joined by a flat-roofed, central stairwell. In response to potential coastal flooding, the home rests atop wooden pilotis and a concrete plinth. The open area at ground level serves as a carport.

"Due to the location near the dunes, the building is elevated off the ground and the landscape is allowed to flow under the house," said the studio, which is based in Portland, Maine.

Exterior walls are clad in cedar, and the roof is sheathed in metal. Both materials are intended to weather over time. Windows are framed with dark metal that contrasts with the light-toned claddin...