For nearly 80 years, the home of William Low was considered to be one of the most significant and highly regarded in American architectural history. Resting on a hillside at the south end of the Bristol peninsula, overlooking Narragansett Bay, “The Low House has come to represent the high mark of the Shingle Style,” according to architectural historian Leland Roth.

Before being demolished in 1962, the house was measured and recorded for architectural history. Now, more than 60 years later, another building with innovative proportions has risen in its place.

The home, which is currently being referred to as the New Low House, is located on the same land where the original house once stood and has been in production for many years. The house is massive in scale, built with 15,000 square feet of living space. Shaped like a three-blade propellor and rising three levels, it is designed in a way where every occupied space provides a view of Narragansett Bay.

Architect Scott Hughes, who has worked on previous residences with the owners of the new house, was well aware of the Low House before knowing that this home would share this historic connection. “My learning that the site itself happened to be the location of the Low House was a huge surprise when I first visited the site,” said Hughes, whose firm has roots in Florida and southern California. The building looks to capture the feeling of the original house, with a floor layout very similar to the original house, according to Hughes.

Hughes’ website, Huum.Com, states that the home “will inspire the imagination of today’s New England residents, just as the McKim Mead and White design did almost 150 years ago.”

Each level of the home has a terrace facing out toward the water. According to the firm’s website, it is being built for a large family of sailors and provides direct access to the bay, which they describe as “one of the prime waterways in the country.”

A local builder

Construction is being overseen by Butera Building and Design, located in Barrington and owned by Dave Butera. According to Butera, several other companies were interviewed for the position before he was chosen. “They toured some of our houses. There was a long interviewing process, architects and engineers asking questions about each builder, and they felt that we were the ones to do it,” Butera said, adding that he felt that even getting the interview was a great honor.

Butera described the new building as potentially historic, comparing it with the original Low House. He mentioned some of the important features of the house. For instance, the house is fully solar-powered and has a battery backup system that can run the house for multiple days. He said everyone involved with its construction has been excited to be a part of it. In addition, In addition, it has been extremely challenging, as they have been doing things in this design that they’ve never done before.

Butera said the house is something that needs to be seen in person. He mentioned that the collaboration between both parties played a key role in making the house look unique and original. He believes there is no other home anywhere that looks like this, and it is truly one of a kind.

I’m confident that they’re going to be studying this, that this is going to be a landmark house in Bristol, Rhode Island,” Butera said.

Hughes said that he and his team respected the original building and that they viewed building on the site as a great responsibility. He said the house is nearing completion, with only some landscape work needing to be done.

“It’s been a great privilege to work on that site,” Hughes said. “I’m hoping the ultimate project lives up to the reputation of the original house.”