Thinking of Long Island houses, particularly in the Hamptons, may force you to consider this conventional shingle design that influences to this day. But as I’ve explored previously, there’s a strong history of contemporary residential architecture on the island. 1 inheritor of this more recent convention is Bates Masi Architects, the company of Harry Bates and Paul Masi situated in Sag Harbor. The duo has compiled an impressive portfolio that’s consistently modern while ranging from small to big in their unique answers to site requirements. On the larger end of this spectrum is this home that’s a brief walk from the beaches along the Atlantic Ocean. Let’s have a tour of a home that’s modern and open yet warm and scaled to the family’s use of the home.
at a Glance
Who lives here: Alison and Andy Brod — she runs a PR company and he’s an investment manager — and both sons
Location: Bridgehampton, Long Island, New York
Size: 6,500 square feet
That is interesting: Alison asked architect Paul Masi for a weekend home using Zen-like calm akin to one of her favorite Aman Resorts
Bates Masi Architects LLC
While big at 6,500 square feet, the home is broken down into six boxes arranged in a casual L shape. From the road side we can see three of those boxes. In the center is the open living/dining area; to our right is the two-story box with all the children’s bedrooms above guest rooms; around our left is the small family area box, even though a hint of others can be found beyond it.
The exterior includes a small but abundant palette of mahogany, glass and travertine. They’re all used in contemporary manners, but the first two mention the island’s shingle-style architecture.
Bates Masi Architects LLC
The view of the back of the home reveals a pinwheel-like symmetry, where a two-story box is on the right side. Again there are guest rooms, this time above the garage (obtained from the right). The box projecting toward the pool on the left is the master bedroom.
What is also constant from front to back is the way the boxes have been articulated, with glass facing one direction and wood walls on the side. With neighbors on three sides, glass had to be used selectively, even though the expanses are rather big. The L shape allows for a courtyard and a private zone where glass can be used without worry of their neighbors.
Bates Masi Architects LLC
There’s actually a seventh box, the pool house, that’s taken out of the remainder of the home. The pool home combines with all the stepped landscaping to help screen the home from neighbors on this side.
This view of the pool home also gives a closeup of this travertine, which is cut thin and applied like shingles. Bates and Masi had to design a custom system for hanging the rock, given this atypical use of this substance.
Bates Masi Architects LLC
The one box where glass is used on two parallel sides is the central living/dining place, which can be the main entrance. A wraparound canopy provides shelter at the doorway while echoing the way in which the wood siding wraps the boxes.
The Brods desired to be able to have different things happening at once — for example hosting a dinner party while amusing kids — and the six boxes accommodate that. They also lead to the striking views through this central portion of the home.
Bates Masi Architects LLC
One enters the house into the open living/dining place, awaiting the courtyard through the glass walls. The most striking part of this tall space is the fireplace created from vertical bronze bits in a different shingle reference. This thing, which includes storage on the trunk, also serves to divide the space between the living area onto the best and dining area on the left side.
The mahogany proceeds inside on the walls, ceilings and flooring. The flooring also include travertine.
The Brods acknowledge that a lot of their guests are surprised by how small furniture is in their house, which comes about through built-ins the architects designed. 1 example is the bar on the side wall of their living space, made of the same mahogany to blend in almost seamlessly.
Bates Masi Architects LLC
From this angle, we can see the dining area and glimpse the opening to the kitchen beyond. The view through the glass wall shows the back leg of the home (the garage/guest chambers). In the distance we can actually understand the neighbor’s home peering above the trees.
Bates Masi Architects LLC
Of the few furnishings in the home is the striking dining room table, one of 2 tables (the other is the 1,000-pound plexiglass coffee table) designed and constructed by Alison’s dad Alan Friedman, a former antique dealer who currently designs bronze and iron furniture in West Palm Beach. Above the table is a Terzani chandelier created from two miles of bronze string.
Bates Masi Architects LLC
A lot of the Zen-like personality comes across in the kitchen, a generous area with windows to the semi-enclosed courtyard and the front of the home. The built-in banquettes and island seating are like a fusion of a sushi restaurant and also a resort.
Bates Masi Architects LLC
The kitchen might be located in its own box, but it is visually open to the living area in addition to the exteriors. The location of this sink onto the island is strategic, giving a view to the landscaping in front of the home.
Bates Masi Architects LLC
The travertine wall opposite the window in the past view is another detail which exudes the Zen-like calm, while also bringing a depth from the outside inside. The effect is heightened by the strip skylight above the wall.
Bates Masi Architects LLC
A similar notion comes across in the mahogany-lined master bedroom. Bates Masi designed the platform bed and inserted it into an alcove with a custom leather wall.
Bates Masi Architects LLC
This last view of the home is the master bathroom, which includes a tub between glass-enclosed toilet (left) and shower stalls (right). Here, Walker Zanger’s glass tiles add a splash of something different, also as the mahogany continues on the floor. Natural light comes in through clerestory windows which face another personal courtyard.