Kirkland Residence

USE: Private Residence

LOCATION: Cambridge, MA

YEAR COMPLETED: 2009-Ongoing

AREA: 3100sf

A good house has many lives. Each reflects the particular lifestyle of the successive generation. By coincidence, and by shared appreciation, the Kirkland Residence has passed through several generations of MIT trained architects, each leaving a new layer of spatial definition and attention to detail.

Our work with the current owner has spanned more than fifteen years and includes large and small changes, reflecting their love of the design process, craft of construction, and sumptuous natural materials. Rising up from a hidden whisky cellar through the three stories above can feel like listening in to a conversation across generations. With each new level, the house becomes lighter and more open, until finally, one steps out among the tree tops.

View through a doorway into a room with wooden doors, window with wooden blinds, and a built-in seat with patterned cushion; hardwood floor and a colorful rug at the entrance.
Interior view of a living room seen through an open green door, featuring a hardwood floor, red patterned area rug, vintage furniture, a fireplace, artwork on the wall, and large pyrethrum plants in a large pot.
Interior view of a staircase with gray painted wooden balustrades, wooden handrails, and stairs, next to a large window with a curtain. There are wall art pieces, a decorative globe, and a modern pendant light.
A kitchen featuring a wooden window frame with a large window and a view of trees outside. The kitchen has a polished marble countertop with a small plant near the sink, a modern faucet, and stainless steel appliances including a refrigerator and dis
A living room with large windows showing a wintery outdoor scene. The room has a sloped ceiling with built-in speakers, a colorful area rug, a gray sofa with patterned cushions, a black leather armchair, decorative vases, and a colorful abstract pain
View of a living room through a large wooden doorway. The room features a fireplace with a painting above it, two windows with blinds, and various decorative plants. There's a rug on the wooden floor and a fluffy round stool near a wooden room divide
Interior view of a home with wooden floors, a staircase with logs on the side, and a wine rack built into a wood-paneled wall.
A cozy living room with a fireplace, a green armchair, a wooden coffee table, and a vintage red rug. There are bookshelves, potted plants, and a window with lace curtains allowing natural light in.
A wooden kitchen with wood-paneled walls and ceiling, featuring a nook with a small sink, countertop, and wooden cabinets. Three white pendant lights hang from the ceiling. On the table, there are three bottles of wine, an open book, and a pair of gl
Bathroom with green marble tiles, a silver frosted glass shower door, a wooden frame door on the left, and a blue vase with white flowers on a green marble ledge.
Interior view of a home featuring a staircase with wood steps and a gray railing, a decorative framed painting of a woman, a multicolored area rug, and a doorway with a wooden door, all inside a traditional style house with hardwood floors and detail
Interior view of a dining room with hardwood floors, a wooden dining table, and red chairs. There's a built-in corner bench with patterned cushions and a window with natural light coming through. A decorative rug is on the floor, and a pair of wall-m
Bathroom with wood-paneled walls, a white sink with a silver faucet, a radiator heater below, and a decorative fabric hanging with Japanese calligraphy.
A corner of a room with white walls, a wooden floor, and yellow cabinets. There is a wooden wine rack with bottles on the wall and a circular wall clock above it. A framed black-and-white photograph is partially visible on the left side.
A kitchen with wooden cabinets, a marble-topped island, a large window with trees outside, and a skylight bringing in natural light.

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