Nestled in Barnstable Village, a historic home is thoughtfully renovated by A3 Architects, Inc. for future generations to enjoy. 

If you’ve ever taken a drive around Barnstable Village, you know that it is rich in history, as is evident with many of the homes displaying plaques acknowledging the date of construction. As you pass by these homes it’s easy to wonder, who lived here? And how did the current inhabitants come to call these pieces of history home? For these homeowners, their antique property has been passed down through generations for the past 100 years. 

With two daughters, and now lively grandchildren, they wanted the property to be an heirloom they could entrust to their family without any worry of burdening their daughters with the demands of maintenance. To accomplish this feat, the homeowners enlisted the help of A3 Architects, Inc. in Dennis Village. “It’s a really special property to them,” shares Alison Alessi, principal at A3. “And of course, we really respected the historical integrity of the home when we took on this renovation.” With the family spending more and more time on the Cape, Alessi says that they concluded the house needed what they called a “generational update.” Alessi, an architect and Certified Passive House Designer, explains, “They knew they needed to invest in the mechanical systems, plumbing and electrical systems,” as the house hadn’t been touched since the 1950s when the home received an addition. “The homeowners were very committed to leaving the historic part of the house, which is an old Cape at the front.” The team at A3 saw an opportunity to update the back of the home, while also intervening where needed in the 1700s structure.  ...