Deering Highlands Ageing in Place

Our clients are both artists who wanted to continue living and working in their home and studios for years to come. Architect Elizabeth Newman developed plans that addressed insulation, circulation, safety, and the larger question of how the house could support them as they age.

Some of the existing conditions were genuinely difficult. One staircase was so steep that it had to be walked sideways, while the barn was beginning to fail structurally under its own weight. We added a new structural ridge and worked through a careful connection between the house and barn.

The floor elevations between the buildings did not line up, which made the new stair, walls, and roof connection particularly unforgiving. Everything had to land exactly where it was supposed to. The project took about six months in Portland’s Deering Highlands.