Maine Island Cabin by Alex Scott Porter Design

Alex Scott Porter designed the Maine Island Cabin, located on Ragged Island (Criehaven), 20 miles off the coast of Maine, USA.

Description:

This three-season retreat house is situated on a remote island. The island has no roads, stores, electricity, cellular grid, water service or ferry service – no grid. The house can store enough solar energy and rain water to power a refrigerator, lights, kitchen tap, outdoor shower and outlets for music or a laptop computer.
The 550 square foot house, on a tiny lot, sits right on the water facing the harsh northeastern open ocean – winds clocking 100 mph were measured last year. The house was designed with a hard, protective aluminum shell to close up in the off-season, by three large sliding doors. The exterior needed to be virtually maintenance free, a challenge with the corrosive salt air. In mild weather the house opens up to take in the prevailing breezes and soak up the daylight. Technology-wise, the house operates on photovoltaics with large-capacity batteries, a 525 gallon cistern, a composting toilet, and a solar refrigerator originally designed for keeping medical supplies cold in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The construction had to be planned to the nail as all the materials had to be transported to the island at once. As a result, all the framing was designed on a 2-foot grid for fail-proof planning and coordination. The simple interior uses unfinished north-eastern woods. Truly local materials were also used—beach stones for the hearth and island-cured concrete counters – as well as recycled plastic laminate for the cabinets.

Design: Alex Scott Porter Design

Photos: Eirik Johnson for Dwell