Interviews with Elliott Architects

In high school, I was a fine arts major. I went to Wentworth Insititute of Technology and earned an Associates Degree in Architectural Engineering cumm cum laude and a Bachelors Degree in Architecture magna cum laude.

I've always liked to draw and loved math and science. Architecture seemed like a great way to combine these things.

Definitely a choice.

Mostly residential buildings along with small institutional and commercial structures. Along with that, there is often some furniture design as well.

I don't think I am a legend.

Problem-solving ability.

How well it solves the problem at hand. And does it do so by bringing delight and joy or does it overwhelm with bravado? A great design is quiet, silent.

Good design provides joy. It also amplifies the small things.

I would like to design workforce housing.

The next one.

Creative problem-solving is the key. Working through an iterative process that is deductive to try and reach a solution.

Louis Kahn, Corbusier, Tadao Ando, Frank Lloyd Wright, Mies van der Rohe, Edward Hopper, Italo Calvino, etc.

There are too many to list. Anything by the Charles and Ray Eames, Arne Jacobsen's tea kettle (and the whole Cylinda series really), Tadao Ando's Church of the Light, Corbusier's Notre Dame du Haut, Louis Kahn's Salk Institute and Exeter Library, Wright's Unity Temple.

This is hard to say. I think the Old Yacht Club is one of them. It solved a complicated problem in a way that presents a dialogue between old and new and draws the environment into the daily experience of the house.

Constant education and a willingness to take risks, put yourself out there.

I would have been a poet.

Creative problem-solving that brings delight or joy to its solution.

I've had much help along the way, from professors including Glenn Wiggins and Weldon Pries to former employers, in particular Peter Forbes and my current employers (now partners), Matt and Libby Elliott.

I worked in a lot of small offices along the way to where I am now. Working in smaller offices often means more responsibility, if one is willing to take it. It also means the ability to work on different aspects of design as opposed to getting pigeonholed or solely focusing on just one thing. That exposure, especially early on, was hugely beneficial to my growth.

I don't believe I am a master designer. In terms of obstacles, not every project turns out the way you would like. Sometimes there is value engineering that occurs or client changes that have to be reconciled. And some projects just never get built. That can be frustrating at times but you just keep pushing forward.

The best way to understand design is to experience it. The closer that one can come to that the better.

I'm working on a number of projects, some residential and some non-residential. You should see some interesting things in the future.

To learn from each preceding project and constantly push the bar higher.

I do not consider myself esteemed. However, I would expect thoughtful solutions regardless of the design problem or budget.

It reinforces our connection with the natural world and place in the universe.

I'm working on a lot of interesting projects: a renovation to an auto museum, an office "cube," a new house comprising four interconnected structures.

Ones that my clients enjoy on a daily basis.

More sustainable self-sufficient projects.

Towards greater incorporation of sustainability.

Depends. But usually, a project from start to completion takes on average 2.5 years.

Thinking about the problem and how to define it.

I think I have to steal this from the Boy Scouts: "do your best."

All art is reflective of society.

It is a supporting role. I often use the Trace app by Morpholio as it is close to drawing on actual trace but with added benefits. In particular, it streamlines the presentation process and allows for an iterative design process.

I use the Trace app by Morpholio and AutoCad.

These are critical to the engagement of all the senses in understanding and experiencing architecture. Architecture should not just focus on ocular centricity; it should engage all the senses.

Whatever they want.

How such a simple solution has evaded us for so long.

Someone who is collaborative and thinks creatively. And has a sense of humor.

Peter Forbes.

Ulysses, Between God and Man, Towards a New Architecture, Experiencing Architecture.

I'm still honing them every day.

Louis Kahn.

I don't consider myself famous therefore I don't find it hard.

Red; Florence, Italy; tiramisu, fall, a volleyball; and Alessi.

While not funny at the time, we did have a renovation project where the client's cat disappeared. It ended up hiding behind the tub while they were putting up gypsum board and inadvertently got sheetrocked into the wall. The cat was unharmed and perhaps a little shaken up but for a while, they couldn't figure out while the walls were meowing. Anyway, the cat was rescued and the owner kept him off the job site from that point on.

Working on a challenging problem and making headway towards a solution.

It was obvious I would become a designer. I'm not sure I would add the word "great" yet.

Sometimes. Most of what we're designing today will probably not exist. I wonder if humans will still inhabit this planet or if climate change will be the end of us. If humankind persists, how will they view our generation?

This seems to have covered a lot!

I have wanted to be an architect since about 4th grade. I always knew I wanted to combine science and art in some way and that seemed like a good way to do it. Haven't looked back.

We are an architectural firm in Blue Hill, Maine engaged in the design and renovation of residential and institutional buildings. Much of our work is on the Maine coast and islands, and it is this extraordinary environment – natural, cultural and architectural – that provides our starting point and inspiration.

A common theme of work in progress at Elliott Architects is our search for an architecture that expresses something essential and authentic about its owner, place, and time.

Problem-solving in a way that also provides delight.

I like a challenge so anything that requires complex thinking to achieve what ultimately appears to be a simple solution.

This project, the Old Yacht Club, is one of my favorites. It was challenging to achieve the clients' goals due to the regulatory and structural requirements. Also, renovating a historic structure requires careful thought and consideration as to how the old and new will interface.

My first project was a new house in Massachusetts.

It is hard to come up with just one material. I do like wood a lot as it is versatile, environmentally friendly, and exudes warmth.

Most of my creative thinking happens while I'm driving. It gives me time to run through solutions in my mind, test them, and think about the project before I ever put pen to trace.

Defining the problem and then seeking a conceptual solution that binds all elements of the project together.

Exhilaration when something just seems to click.

There's always a sense of joy when a project is complete and the owners are thrilled with the result.

When the problem is solved in a way that exceeds everyone's expectations.

How did it solve the problem? Is the solution overpowering and noisy or is it quiet and subdued?

Climate change is an existential threat so designers have a responsibility to their clients and the planet to provide a sustainable solution to their problem.

One of the big unknowns is the impact of AI. I think there can be positive aspects to this but also negative aspects if not used appropriately. We need to proceed cautiously.

2010: 50 Years of Modern Maine Architecture in Portland, Maine.

These vary quite a bit. Usually, I start with the site and the program and work to define the problem. From there the definition of the problem often leads toward different means of inspiration.

I am not sure I work stylistically. Ideally, style grows organically out of the design process itself. History is an inspiration, as is memory, but these should not be replicated. Modern interpretation of these things is what I seek.

Maine in the United States. Our country does have a (short) history of vernacular designs inspired by the climate and building materials available to the builders. There is a lot to be learned from these projects. But our built history does not have the breadth of say European or Asian architectural history.

We prefer a team approach where everyone is engaged early on to help provide the best project solution possible.

I think there are two things to look at: are they a team player and what does their portfolio look like?

Usually, I think a lot about the problem, often while driving, before I ever draw anything. Once I feel the problem has been defined I try and come up with 10-20 quick conceptual solutions to the problem. The strongest 3-4 schemes are typically developed.

My Arne Jacobsen tea kettle, an Ingo Maurer Lucellino lamp, our antique Eames dining room chairs, a Stelton bottle opener, and an Artemide Tolomeo lamp.

Wake up and get ready for the day. Drive to work thinking about the projects I'll be working on for the day. Meet with team members of various projects to ensure we're all on the same page. I'm probably on the phone with contractors multiple times to check in on projects or answer questions. Lots of emails. Hopefully, some sketching or drawing. Head home and think about the next day's work. Go for a run or play some volleyball. Have dinner with my family. Read then go to sleep.

Creative pursuits are important, whether drawing, painting, pottery, or whatever. Anything that requires creative thinking helps keep those "muscles" in good shape. Always explore an iterative design process. Don't get too attached to one idea or concept. Push beyond. Every problem has at least two equal solutions.

Positives: working on interesting projects with interesting people. No two projects are ever alike.

Negatives: ever-increasing prices over the last four years have made it a challenge to meet budgets.

Never let the design be too loud and take away from its purpose or environment.

Critical problem-solving is the most important skill for any designer.

Pen and trace and the Trace app by Morpholio are used for the majority of my design work.

I typically have 7-10 projects going at once so weekly scheduling meetings are critical to ensure tasks get done on time.

It varies greatly. A typical house has a design process of about a year and construction can then take 14-18 months. Some take less time; some take more.

What is the starting point for your design work?

My first project with the firm was a new house on a tight timetable. We started design at the beginning of August on a 4,000 SF home and foundation work began in November of the same year. This was an aggressive schedule requiring biweekly meetings and rapid design thinking. It helped me produce work quickly that was thought-driven and not get too attached to one solution.

They are mostly homeowners and small organizations.

Residential work is very personal. This is typically the biggest expenditure of a person's or family's life, and you get to know them intimately with every detail carefully considered. But I also enjoy working on community-based projects as well that can be rewarding on a larger scale.

I plan to continue doing what I am doing, seeking the next design challenge.

Initial conceptual designs are often developed independently and from there, a team is formed to carry the design forward.

I have a small project, only 144 square feet, that is a cube: 12'x12'x12'. It will be an office for an existing client. A timber frame structure entirely clad in aluminum panels, it is an enigmatic structure in the woods with no signs of doors or windows when closed.

Email: corey@elliottarchitects.me

This is pretty extensive.

Renovations always present design challenges, particularly when historic preservation is involved. In the case of the Old Yacht Club, we wanted to draw a clear line between past and present. We left the salvaged and reused material as untouched as possible. When it comes into contact with new materials or work, we referenced the old in the new but also created a distinction between old and new. This clarifies what is historical and what is contemporary allowing both to coexist in a state of clarity, respecting history without blurring the line.

The original Yacht Club was an interior-centric structure. It was designed as a space for gathering and conversation around the fireplace; not as a space that was connected to the site or sea. Our clients' desire to engage the site to a much greater extent, both visually and physically, led to the extension of the Club Room onto the deck and the dissolution of the corner. The sliding doors retract fully, without a corner post, extending the interior space outside. By recessing the door track into the floor and using the flooring material as decking, we were able to blur the line between inside and out.

The largest climate or environmental risk that the Old Yacht Club faces is flooding. To counter this, the wood structure was removed and set aside and the foundation was reinforced. Concrete footings were placed beneath the walls that were not ledge-bearing, and the entire base was encapsulated with a concrete footer that was pinned to bedrock. Additionally, a system of concrete buttresses coupled with a wide footing transformed the water-facing stone wall into a reinforced retaining wall, capable of resisting storm surge. A drainage system was installed beneath the foundation and original apertures in the foundation were left open, allowing the foundation to act as a sieve and avoid trapping floodwater inside.

The dormers were designed to be as minimal as possible with butt-glazing and structural supports eliminated at the corners. This creates a direct relationship with the outside as opposed to the feeling one gets when looking through a framed aperture like a window. The brunt of winter storms with horizontal rain and the piles of snow on the roof are so close you can almost feel them. As the sun moves around the building the dormers provide 270 degrees of unobstructed light and view creating a play of shadows that is in constant flux. In Maine's coastal climate separation between inside and outside is a requirement. Our goal was to minimize this barrier to the greatest extent possible, thus creating a more direct relationship with the site.

Our strategy was simple: we wanted a clear line between past and present. That is, when we reused historic materials they were reused intact and untouched. When new materials were required, rather than trying to replicate the old we made the distinction explicit. We did not want to blur the line between old and new, historic and contemporary. This would be disrespectful to the history of the structure. Instead, we used the old materials as a guide to drive the contemporary elements, transforming the original weathered boards into painted white paneling, for instance. We concealed necessary electrical receptacles and switches to allow the historical fabric to read just as it did originally.

The construction phase was the longest part of the project. It began in the spring of 2020 right at the start of the pandemic which added its own delays in terms of material shortages. The original Yacht Club was deconstructed with the Club Room and chimney carefully numbered, labeled, and stored for later reuse. This was a slow process but crucial to its reconstruction. Work on the foundation began and because the project was partially on clay it needed temporary stabilization while the work proceeded in sections to avoid undermining it. Additionally, the project was affected by the tides which resulted in a shifting schedule from day to day. These early phases of the work were slow and laborious but critical to the success of this project. From there, work proceeded to the erection of a newly engineered wood and steel superstructure. The chimney and Club Room were then put back together inside this new shell. While all of this was time-consuming, it extended the life of the structure which was put to the test earlier this year when back-to-back storms pounded the Maine coast. While some seaweed was left on the deck, the house survived without damage, unlike some of the less fortunate structures dotting the coastline.

The historical elements that had the largest impact were the stone foundation, the Club Room, the chimney, and the profile of the structure. The second floor of the Club had been gutted at some point and was just open framing. The exterior envelope consisted of a stucco veneer that was deteriorating rapidly in the coastal environment. That led us in the direction of reinforcing the foundation, salvaging the Club Room and chimney, and maintaining the height and profile of the structure. We then wove a new insulated shell and residential functions around these elements.

Our hope is that this building represents a continuation of that architectural heritage of shingled structures along the Maine coast but updates it for the 21st century. The Old Yacht Club respects the past while moving the dialogue forward. For us it is not timeless nor is it of the past. Rather it evolved from a place in history and is very much of its time, using historical memory to enhance its sense of place.

The thought problem of Theseus' ship poses the question: at what point does an object cease being that object if all of its pieces are replaced systematically over time? In this project, not only were we required to create new work around the old but we were changing use as well. That led us to draw a hard line between old and new, ensuring that the parts of the Old Yacht Club that remained would be clearly of the past while the new elements would read distinctly.

Historical structures can be challenging to adapt to new uses or integrate with sustainable practices. This project takes a clear stance on old and new. It does not try to replicate the past nor blur the line. Where the historical fabric could be reused it was to the greatest extent possible. This maintains authenticity and respects the integrity of the old. It is an approach that we often champion when grafting onto old structures. They do not need to be turned into museums to respect the past. Architecture can and should evolve to reflect changing needs and technology.