All Architecture

Porter Cottage in Maine by Alex Scott Porter

01.24.11

Posted by Jaime Derringer

Architecture Main

Porter Cottage in Maine by Alex Scott Porter

View Photo Gallery

The December/January issue of Dwell featured this cute 320-square-foot cabin on an island 20 miles off the coast of Maine.

Designed by Alex Scott Porter, it an off-the-grid cozy writer’s retreat that features lots of eco-friendly goodness including a graywater system, solar panels, passive solar heating and cooling, a solar refrigerator originally designed for keeping medical supplies cold in Sub-Saharan Africa, rainwater catchment, and a composting toilet. A small screened porch, a storage closet and the composting toilet room add another 160 square feet to the cabin. What a great place to cozy up with a good book, a cup of hot chocolate, and an oversized sweater.

Photos by Eirick Johnson.

Jaime Derringer, Founder + Executive Editor of Design Milk, is a Jersey girl living the laid back life in SoCal. She dreams about architectural jewelry + having enough free time to enjoy some of her favorite things—running, reading, and drawing.

You can follow Jaime Derringer on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Google. Read all of Jaime Derringer's posts.

Denise Bee on 01.22.2013 at 16:37 PM

I just love the house that Alex has designed for her father. Spare and beautiful and zen like. But enough space, not to feel crowded or cramped

Is there any way that she might consider, making this an open licience design? We could pay her for the design, and the plans, as you would for a boat design..

I live in Christchurch New Zealand, and after the Earthquakes we are in dire need of good robust design.

The insurance companies are not paying up, and the design choices if they finally do are , not wonderful. Thankyou

Reply to this comment
- Lyn Hamilton on 04.15.2014 at 05:17 AM
  
  I too love this small but beautiful house design. I also live in New Zealand and have been looking for just this type of house. I want to be self sufficient and as off grid as possible. And I sympathise with Denise Bee – this house would be perfect for the future architecural landscape of Christchurch. Is it possible to purchase the plans?
  Many thanks.
  
  Reply to this comment