Dune House
Having spent decades summering along this stretch of Delaware coastline, the owners approached the project with a clear ambition: to create a home that could accommodate generations of family while capturing the character of the landscape that had drawn them there for so many years.
Set on a rare corner site overlooking protected dunes, the house emerges from a close reading of its environment. Before design began, the architects spent time observing the site, tracking the movement of light, studying the height and form of the dunes, and exploring how the home might engage with the shore and views of the Atlantic. Rather than imposing itself upon the landscape, the project sought to deepen the experience of it.
Client
Location
Fenwick Island, DE
Size
Completed
2024
STATUS
Built
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To accommodate six bedrooms and generous entertaining spaces within a tight zoning envelope, the house is conceived as a bar lifted above the landscape. Elevated toward the Atlantic, it captures views across the sand and out to sea.
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The exterior takes cues from the dune fencing that lines the beach. Accoya cladding mirrors the proportions of the pickets, creating a facade animated by light and shadow. Over time, the unfinished wood weathers naturally into its surroundings.
The ground floor functions as a connective layer between landscape and home. Here, showers, storage, and beach amenities support the everyday rituals of coastal living before a stair ascends to the spaces above.
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Warm timber, soft light, and a restrained palette create interiors that feel inseparable from their surroundings. As the dunes, ocean, and sky change throughout the day, so too does the experience of the home.
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The owners sourced nearly every piece of furniture secondhand. Combined with custom elements, the interior reflects a commitment to timeless design and lasting quality. The main dining table is milled from a fallen ash tree in Baltimore, where the family is from.
At the top of the house, living and dining spaces open to a terrace that cantilevers beyond the dunes. A 25-foot operable glass wall removes the boundary between inside and out, creating the sensation of floating above the landscape.
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Design Team
Douglas Bothner
Christopher Brown
Consultants
Structural Engineer – 1200 Architectural Engineers, PLLC
Civil Engineer – FORESIGHT Services
Builder – Horizon Builders
Photography
Jennifer Hughes
