We were commissioned to design a new summer home on the Massachusetts Bay at Cape Cod. Situated on the site was an unremarkable one-story wood frame cottage constructed in the early 1940's. The building measured only 20 by 24 feet and, although within a few hundred feet of the bay, had no view of the water. Local regulations mandated that the new residence be constructed on the existing foundation and be limited to a maximum building height of 28 feet. To gain a view of the water, we elevated the house to the maximum 28 feet and located the sleeping quarters on the second floor, while the third floor was reserved for public living spaces. The first floor was buried into the site and relegated to storage. We cantilevered the upper floors and added large outdoor decks to the waterside elevation, thus providing additional living space. The facades are clad with cedar shakes and clapboard siding. These materials defer to the traditional Cape architecture of the nearby town, but are articulated in a modern idiom.