Folly Beach, S.C., Residence

Merit Award

A narrow lot across the street from the beach inspired architects Jason Hart, Aaron Malnarick, and Chris Johns to get some air with this new house. Flood-zone insurance rates necessitated an elevated first floor, and making the most of the narrow ocean view between neighboring buildings would mean building up to the height limit. But the architects made a virtue of necessity, emphasizing the house's verticality with a cherry-veneered storage-and-circulation spine that incorporates cabinets, bookcases, a fireplace, an entertainment center, and display space for the owner's collection of Peruvian pottery. The house's white oak stair gets in on the act too, with an elongated tread that becomes a cabinet top and work surface that wraps around the first-floor office. Our judges noted the piece's effectiveness at unifying two floors of the house. Said one, “It's the thing that brings energy and warmth into all those spaces.”

Entrant/Architect: CUBE design + research, Boston; Builder: Jack Hart, Folly Beach, S.C.; Consulting contractor: Rampart Construction, Charleston, S.C.; Millwork contractors: GCW Inc., Johns Island, S.C., and Southland Custom Woodworks, Summerville, S.C.; Living space: 3,100 square feet; Site: .25 acre; Construction cost: $187 a square foot; Photographer: Richard Leo Johnson.

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