Veil House
Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts
Emerging from a forest of black oak and tupelo that populates the northwest edge of Martha’s Vineyard, Veil House is a study in careful modulation. Commissioned by a doctor and a visual artist, the single-level summer home was conceived to support both creative inspiration and physical wellbeing. A seamless connection between indoors and out fosters a sense of seaside calm, while the home’s modest scale reflects a deliberate respect for its rare and sensitive coastal setting.
The desire for a modest home introduced a regulatory challenge. Local codes limit ocean-facing façades to 50 percent glass, often encouraging larger buildings as a way to gain more access to views and light. Veil House resists this logic. Instead, it employs a set of finely tuned sliding screens, or "veils," that ensure visible glass never exceeds the allowable percentage. Each veil moves to reveal one window while partially covering another, transforming a technical constraint into an elegant, ever-changing façade.
The veils subtly choreograph daily life, shifting between shade and sunlight, intimacy and openness, privacy and exposure. Set at the outer edge of the roof overhang, they establish a sheltered path that traces the length of the house, serving both as a covered porch and an alternate route between rooms. This space between veil and wall acts as a filter, shaping the dialogue between interior and exterior—deciding what enters and what remains outside.
The home is organized with deliberate simplicity along this edge, with major rooms aligned to capture views and spill onto a stone garden softened by the foliage of the black oaks and offering glimpses of the surf beyond. It is conceived as a layered sequence of thresholds. Approaching from the south, visitors move through a linear zone of service spaces before arriving at the heart of the home. Living spaces are carefully ordered to ensure privacy: guest accommodations and the primary suite occupy the ends of the home, while shared spaces sit at the center, bringing hosts and guests together and gently separating sleeping areas.
To those arriving, the home appears as a simple rectangular volume, animated by the transparent screened room, which invites guests toward the terrace and allows ocean breezes to flow freely during a quiet evening’s sunset. Veil House is a serene retreat set at the ocean’s edge, extending a warm and receptive welcome at the end of long summer days spent cycling, beachcombing or exploring the nearby Aquinnah cliffs.
Photography by Draper White
