The Cambridge Dell House takes full advantage of its unique site as one of the few remaining plots in the terraced neighborhood that has retained its natural slope, descending more than a story from the street to its lowest point. The single-family house fully engages this topography, capturing views across neighboring properties while stepping down with the hill and opening out to the site. Its tiered form shifts to complement the landscape, by Matthew Cunningham Landscape Design, with interior spaces flowing into intimate pocket gardens and out to the larger site.

A layered covered walkway connects the garage to the house, creating a moment of arrival from the city sidewalk. The entry captures an elevated view of the distant, wooded surroundings, giving access to the living room and roof deck. The kitchen opens to a more intimate outdoor room with herb gardens and a quiet view of the reflecting pool. A bridge between the stairs reveals and heightens the cascading depth of the site, and the first landing on the descending stairs opens to a dining room which spills out to a covered terrace and small deck. The lower level provides guest rooms and steps down to the gym, library and study, all of which are directly connected to the lower site. Below the street-level garage, a potting workroom addresses a vegetable garden at the lowest level of the site.

A combination of passive strategies contributes to the home’s energy efficiency. The house’s north face is solid and insulated to protect from colder winds, opening instead to the south-facing interior of the site. Deep overhangs shade the high-performance triple-glazed windows while allowing in the warmth of the lower winter sun. The house is all electric, utilizing efficient air-to-air heat pumps, and a highly insulated, tightly detailed envelope reduces energy use. Strategically placed operable windows allow for cross-ventilation, and clerestory windows at the top of the stair use a stack effect to exhaust warmer air.

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Contractor: Essex Restoration

Landscape: Matthew Cunningham Landscape Design, LLC