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Architects: SPG Architects
- Area: 4637 ft²
- Year: 2011
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Photographs:Jimi Billingsley & Daniel Levin
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Manufacturers: Dri-Design
Text description provided by the architects. This Fire Island house is located directly behind beach-front dunes. The strict requirements of both FEMA and local codes regarding height, lot line, setbacks, and site coverage; the proximity of neighbors; and very specific view corridors all presented a host of challenges.
Our response was to create a dynamic composition of three intersecting rectilinear forms, which is rotated on the site off the prevailing grid. This decision maximized both views and privacy. The volume at grade is delineated by dark, vertically slatted, wood breakaway walls, which obscure the support pilings and provide storage for water sports equipment.
The center volume, clad in horizontal wood siding, houses bedrooms & baths and provides roof decks for the living level. The metallic clad upper volume contains a large, open-plan living space with spectacular water views.
The upper two living volumes reverse the typical public/private relationship of rooms so that the primary living spaces can fully enjoy the extended views of the island and the ocean. The middle volume contains the five bedrooms - the four guest rooms for the adult children of the family all laid out exactly the same, with a more commodious master bedroom suite.
The soft neutral colors and natural wood tones used in the architecture are enlivened by the bold use of color used throughout the house in furnishings, textiles and art prints. Indoor-outdoor furniture is used throughout the interiors and the exterior decks, unifying this vacation home's living spaces with a bright and vibrant palette.
