Coastal Collaboration began as a modest addition to a one-story home in Manchester-by-the-Sea. During an early site meeting, the architect, builder, and homeowners climbed onto the flat roof and discovered a wide view across Manchester Harbor to Bakers and Misery islands. That moment changed the project: the small expansion became a new second floor and a comprehensive renovation.
Because architect Art Dioli had designed the original house decades earlier, the transformation could build on its underlying organization. The main floor retains the original footprint and its family gathering spaces, while the new upper level brings bedrooms and the primary suite into the harbor view. A sculptural stair connects all three floors, extending to a lower level with recreation space and a sauna.
The interiors balance a light, neutral palette with natural oak and walnut millwork. Custom cabinetry carries through the living spaces, and a coffered ceiling conceals drapery pockets within the main gathering room. Outside, a pool and pool house are carefully integrated into the rocky ledge, while a copper-clad arched window adds an unexpected note to the modernized Shingle Style exterior. Photovoltaic panels take advantage of the home’s southern exposure and generate much of the property’s energy.
OLSON LEWIS + Architects worked closely with C.M. Ragusa Builders, Red Bank Design Center, Gregory Lombardi Design, and the homeowners. That shared process shaped a home that feels settled into its difficult site and opens daily life to the water.
“The whole property developed as a collaboration,” between Architect Art Dioli, Builder Chris Ragusa, and the Homeowners
