Commercial Architecture

Works in Progress

Beach House, Napeague, NY

Located on a 4.2 acre oceanfront site in Napeague, NY, the pristine, rolling dune landscape between East Hampton and Montauk, this project was developed as a speculative venture with the realty company and owner. Recognizing that the property in its current state was in need of an updating, the task was to analyze the existing, 6,000 square foot, ‘upsidedown’ house in terms of site relationship, program and ‘curb appeal’ and recommend, through 3 dimensional computer renderings, a limited number of architectural alterations to help a prospective buyer visualize the property’s potential.

After reviewing the site and house, four areas were selected that would have the biggest impact. They were in order of experience: the front entry, the interior entry vestibule, the living room and the pool deck.

The existing front entry of the house was an incongruous combination of simple white stucco (the predominant material) and three double height, brick arches. The solution was to remove the brick, open up the middle section of the house façade with additional glass and create an open, more casual entry of glass, wood and stone.

A common architectural problem with an upside down house is the experience when one enters the house through the front door. This was no exception. The lack of arrival created by the center stair and flanking eight foot ceilings begged for a connection to the dunes and ocean – an amenity that few properties can offer. Shifting the stair to the right of the vestibule enabled this space to be not only the entry to the house, but also an entry to the site with the placement of glass doors on the oceanside wall. Natural light is also brought to this space vertically via a series of skylights over the glass wrapped stair, that push light down through the house.

The relocated stair also places second floor arrival at the living room and no longer in the middle of the kitchen. The living room, while ample in floor area, suffers from a series of leftover, physical intrusions created by the third floor loft over a portion of the room, the pitch of the mansard roof and a second staircase. The new living room design establishes a clean, spacious, ‘cathedral’ ceiling of tongue and groove cedar.

Lastly, the spectacular ocean views to the south, from the pool deck are somewhat diminished by the same ability to see the street and neighboring buildings to the north. While more than ample in size, it suffers from a lack of definition of smaller spaces. By adding an aluminum and wood pergola with a translucent glass screen wall on the north side of the deck, a partially shaded, intimate, lounge area is created that screens both noise and unfavorable views.