Call this the house of three lives. Barnes Coy Architects was commissioned to update a house that had been built in 1950 and renovated in 1993. The result represents, according to judge Jamie Drake, “a spectacular transformation, where complex planes are enriched with varying materials.” The architectural directive was to rebuild the house so that it took better advantage of its perch on a bluff overlooking Three Mile Harbor. By digging a deeper foundation, the architects created an entirely new lower level, along with a courtyard and in-house gym. Judge Milly de Cabrol characterizes the finished residence as “a classic modern glass house that perfectly fits the landscape.”
Architect Lee H. Skolnick explains that while conceiving this Sagaponack house, his firm set out to tell a story. “We chose to focus on what it means to inhabit that realm between the ocean and the land,” he says, “that point where sun, sea, sky, sand, and storm influence and inform our lives and the houses we build.” This project tells a compelling tale in limestone, sandstone, stucco, cedar, aluminum, and glass. The clean-lined dwelling was configured as a kind of bridge vaulting the land, while taking in views of the surrounding fields and sea. “This large and substantial home is delicate and light, thanks to a sophisticated approach,” comments judge Jamie Drake.
Sometimes a single photograph can inspire the design for an entire house, which is the case with this contemporary East Hampton residence that recalls a traditional barn. According to architect Russell Riccardi, the client had seen a photo of an old barn that had been refashioned into a gracious entrance for an estate elsewhere. Riccardi exploited that idea by positioning large barnlike doors in front of a breezeway, which, when open, allow a view through the full expanse of the property to the pool and beyond. The house is a subtle blend of traditional materials—cedar cladding, shingles, stucco, stone—with decidedly modern lines and forms, a dynamic recognized by judge Milly de Cabrol. “I love the mix of contemporary with touches of the traditional,” she says.
