Whalers Residence

The 2,245 SF footprint of this single-story house located in the Amagansett dunes was largely driven by the unique constraints of the site, a flag lot with a scenic easement to the south and east and reserved areas with wetlands to the north and south. The wetlands required 150’ setbacks to the house and pool and 200’ setbacks to the septic system, which consequently consumed the northeast corner of the site. With Montauk Highway visible to the North, visual screening and noise mitigation were also important concerns.

The resultant pinwheel scheme creates a series of courtyards, each with a different character in response to the varied site conditions, maintaining a connection to the outdoors throughout the house. The dining and pool decks to the south open to the views of the undulating dune landscape. The pool wraps around the southern side of the house, creating a sense of swimming amongst the pines. The guest wing offers its own outdoor connection with a deck bridging to the pool deck and dunes views. Upon entry, the setbacks and nature of the flag lot dictated the location of the garage upon arrival. So, the garage volume is incorporated into an entry composition with an elevated breezeway, defining another curated court with grasses and ornamental trees that becomes an integral part of the entry procession to the house.

As the clients sought to transition from city life in Manhattan to establishing their full-time residence in Amagansett, the program called for a modest house for two with the flexibility to entertain family and guests. The office, with a built-in desk and bookshelves, doubles as a second guest room with a Murphy bed. The pinwheel scheme creates separate ‘wings’ off the living space, which allows for more privacy for guests while minimizing the footprint by eliminating hallways. The master suite is tucked off the entry, creating a serene escape with southern views to the dunes. The open kitchen, dining, living space with sliding glass doors along the south side allows for communal gatherings that can spill out onto the deck. The TV room lounge is wrapped in full height glass and projects into the pool, seemingly floating.

The house was designed to be modular, with 12’-wide boxes arranged to create four wings around a central living space. Modular construction serves to minimize site disturbance and reduce the construction duration on the delicate site near the protected natural areas and wetlands.