What do you get when you combine the design of Ronald F. DiMauro Architects; the CAD and construction work of New England Woodworking; the carving, detailing, and layout work of Stephen Plaud Inc.; and the installation and finish work of Kirby Perkins Construction? A giant clamshell, of course. And a masterfully crafted one at that.
The clamshell, perched atop the entry of a Rhode Island beach house, is made from 19 layers of 2-1/4-in. thick pattern-grade mahogany and took the quartet (all of which are based in the Ocean State) 300 man-hours to engineer and build. But, don't worry, watching a slide show of the shell's painstaking construction will only take you a minute or two. We've also included a detailed drawing of the project and show you the carving tools you'll need, should you attempt a giant clamshell of your own.
Mahogany corbels (a) support a 2x framed tray (b) that is wrapped with a mahogany cove (c). The mahogany shell (d) is capped with arched trim details (e) and (f) and protected by a 2x framed roof (g).
