Hampton's bays enjoy a storied past while unique natural light permeates this wood-clad home. Additionally, captivating landscapes have attracted artists to this part of Long Island's South Fork over the past century and a half. Her work includes a significant collection of modern art and architecture.
The Peconic House with Wood Paneling – An Oasis of Peace
More recently, the allure of the Hamptons has exceeded its capacity. The residential development, the gnarly traffic and the national reputation were more for bragging rights in this regard.
A long-time client asked the architects to create an intergenerational family retreat overlooking Peconic Bay. The team initiated a dialogue about preserving the historic character of the Hamptons while maintaining the scale and sophistication of the 21st century.
Before he assigned this commission to Mapos, the husband and his wife had purchased the bluff property. In this, the Peconic Bay and the ancient forest have created a piece of meadow.
During this time they had also been deeply impressed by the property's existing trees and fauna, particularly a 20 meter high plane tree that stands near the center of the meadow.
Encouraged by the architecture firm's vision to reaffirm the Hamptons' creative and environmental heritage, the couple asked for a site that would leave as little impact on the property as possible.
The Peconic house with wood cladding mainly consists of a 4,000 square meter building and a 2,000 square meter terrace. The residence is also gently wedged into a hill to the north of the large plane tree and is of low proportions.
This was designed this way primarily because the sunlight through the tree and the original view of Peconic Bay are preserved. The roof is planted with native meadow grasses to camouflage human interference and minimize the project's impact on the watershed.
Minimalist design ensures spaciousness
The 60 meter long terrace descends the hill parallel to the residence and culminates in an approximately 23 meter long infinity swimming pool that extends to the west. Together, the wood-clad house and terrace form positive and negative volumes.
Their palette consists of concrete, cedar, recycled wood and Corten steel, which soften the overall linearity and evoke local vegetation and coastline. These untreated materials will slowly develop a natural patina and their color will ultimately blend into the landscape.
With clients expressing a lifelong interest in Richard Serra and Andy Goldsworthy, the unfolding sequence of encountering these modern artists' installations inspired the strategy for approaching the residency.
Arriving guests follow a snaking stone wall through the grounds' woods and meadow, eventually leading to a sharp line of Corten steel that pierces the meadow. Approaching this image ultimately reveals the main residence and leads the visitor to its threshold.
The residence's front gate opens to a tiered living room that frames an east-west panorama of Peconic Bay. It is a surprising experience, as if you had come out of the forest. TheInterior abstracts furtherthe steep landscape of unfinished cedar and reclaimed white oak that follows the topography of the site and leads to the terrace via a 100 meter long glass wall.
Every design decision supports this blurring of the built environment and nature. The green roof also promotes biodiversity, while the cantilevers provide morning and afternoon shade. The structure of the east facade creates a tree-like bay window for the master bedroom. The abstraction and literalness of the interior play off each other. They also provide an overall sustainability strategy that makes this project friendly to the environment.
