Winner: Haver & Skolnick Architects
“Pointer Perch,” a Fishers Island retreat completed in 2022, is sited high on a rocky hill overlooking the Atlantic, surrounded by acres of protected woodlands, fields and ponds. The mantra for the design of the 1,200 square foot house was to build just what was needed for a couple and their dog, and nothing more. The owners desired a low-maintenance, sustainable retreat with just a few generously sized rooms positioned to capture the surrounding view. The house’s form was generated by a desire to climb as high as possible to capture the panoramic ocean views, with the living spaces placed at the top of the tower, and the bedroom below.
Finalist: Stelle Lomont Rouhani Architects
This low-slung, sapele-clad house overlooking a harbor was designed to respect the history and beauty of its setting. The house appears as a one-story structure upon approach, eventually revealing a lower story that opens up to the landscape with the falling terrain. A pool house and timber trellis structure overlook the pool. The main level of the house is partially clad in oak to envelop the interior in the warmth of wood. Each space has access to the exterior though floor-to-ceiling wood-framed glass covered by a continuous overhang that protects the house and gives the feeling of living on a big porch.
Finalist: Workshop/APD
Workshop/APD was tasked with the creation of a home that encouraged indoor-outdoor living, was oriented to highlight natural landscaping, and have a private primary suite and separate guest accommodations. The lot backs up to a lush property with a bucolic, “old Hamptons” farmland feeling. Every inch of the home’s interior is functional, with thoughtful storage and a unified material palette. One significant detail is the home’s roof structure, a sculptural, cantilevered, folded steel diaphragm that allows for a flexible plan beneath it. Simplicity, efficiency and eco-consciousness are all hallmarks of this project. The poured concrete floors were designed with no expansion joints, an acknowledgement that some cracking and natural wear is both acceptable and beautiful.