Beach house real estate near New York City is a precious thing, but even luxuries can be saddled with compromise. The existing house on this property was a 1990s builder spec special. Large and commodious, with great views and a pool, it was nonetheless lacking in aesthetic delight. It didn’t even have a clear style you could assign to it beyond the generic “traditional.” So when the young, single client approached Resolution: 4 Architecture seeking a guest house addition, there was little to hinder Joe Tanney, AIA, Robert Luntz, AIA, and their team from blue-skying what it could look like. The result is a striking modern structure that transforms the entire experience of the property—from arrival, to entry, to weekend party time.
“We’ve designed a few things for this client in the past, and he wanted to do an addition to entertain family and friends,” Joe recalls. “The existing house was like new, and from an investment point of view, he couldn’t tear it down. Plus, his master has a big view of the water.” So, Res4 used the new addition—a long linear bar that rises three levels for the best water views—to fix circulation problems for the old house and greatly expand the party and overnight guest space. “It’s almost a vacation pleasure dome,” says Joe. That the new structure also masks some of the ungainly aspects of the old house is icing on the cake.
Visitors now arrive and park in a glass-walled guest garage, which cantilevers off a bluff and into the view—an experience inspired by the movie “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” A cedar-trellised and screened pathway then directs them past the main house entry to the new guest wing.
On the ground level, five guest suites, outfitted with custom birch bedroom furniture, are democratically appointed with en suite bathrooms and slightly different décor. Each has a private entrance and view to green space at the northern part of the property. Also on the bedroom level are a squash court and gym to help burn off those canape calories.
Stairs up to the main level lead to a large living/dining area and kitchenette. Window walls open the full length of the room to a new extension of the pool deck and the existing pool, creating an expansive outdoor entertaining space. The new deck morphs into a long boardwalk that stretches toward the ocean to a private terrace and fire pit, elevating everyone above the tick-filled beach grasses.
Continuing up to the addition’s third level, there’s an outdoor oasis comprising bocce court, fire pit, and custom spa. This level has the best views in the new building and links directly to the main floor of the existing house, which has an upside-down plan to take advantage of the water views.
At more than 5,000 square feet, the guest wing is larger than most people’s houses; and at the time it was finished, it marked the biggest modular endeavor the firm—a leader in custom factory-built houses—had taken on. Fourteen “boxes,” as Joe calls the modules, were placed on the site in a single exhausting and exhilarating day. “We had a great set crew—they powered through the whole thing,” he says. “We started at 7 a.m. and finished at 11 p.m. Typically something of that scale would take two days.”
Because Res4’s process combines custom site work with factory efficiencies, the project fast-tracked through the fall and winter and was ready in time for the summer beach season. Let the games begin.
RENOVATION
Honor Award
RESOLUTION: 4 ARCHITECTURE
AMAGANSETT ADDITION
AMAGANSETT, NEW YORK
Project Credits
ARCHITECT: Joseph Tanney, AIA, and Robert Luntz, AIA, principals in charge; Debby Yeh, project architect, Resolution: 4 Architecture, New York
MODULAR MANUFACTURER: Simplex Homes
INTERIOR DESIGNER: Curious Yellow, New York
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT: Sweetbay Landscape Design, East Hampton, New York
HVAC CONSULTANT: High Velocity Helper, Cooperstown, New York
MODULAR MANUFACTURER: Simplex Homes, Scranton, Pennsylvania
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER: D.B. Bennett, P.E., P.C, D.B. Bennett Engineering, East Hampton, New York
PROJECT SIZE: 5,723 square feet (new addition)
SITE SIZE: 5.62 acres
CONSTRUCTION COST: Withheld
PHOTOGRAPHY: Resolution: 4 Architecture
Key Products
CABINETRY: Kountry Kraft Custom Cabinetry
CLADDING: HardiePanel
COUNTERTOPS: Corian
DISHWASHER: Miele
DOOR HARDWARE: Omnia lever 312 (swing doors); Stanley pivot hinge (swing doors)
EXTERIOR LIGHTING: Juno; Kichler
FAUCETS: Kohler Stillness (guest bath lavs, showers, and bath accessories); Blanco Culini Mini (kitchenette)
FIRE PIT: Paloform Robata Linear Outdoor Fire
FLOORING: Strand woven bamboo
GARAGE DOORS : Crown Doors 50/50 hydraulic system
HOT TUB: Diamond Spas
HVAC: Unico high velocity
ICEMAKER: U-Line
INSULATION/HOUSEWRAP: ZIP System wall and roof sheathing
INTERIOR LIGHTING: Juno recessed downlights; Broan (exhaust fan and light); Lumini linear LED tape light; Artimede Tolomeo wall lamps (guest bedrooms)
LIGHTING CONTROL: Lutron
PAINTS/STAINS: Cabot (cedar stain); Benjamin Moore Aura (interior paint)
REFRIGERATOR/FREEZER: U-Line (under cabinet)
ROOFING: Carlisle SynTec
SHOWER INCLOSURE: MTI Baths Designer Collection shower base
SINKS: Duravit Vero (guest baths);
TILE: Daltile
TOILETS: Duravit Starck 2
WINDOW SYSTEMS: Western Window Systems
Images
Plans and Drawings
Before Photos and Construction Photos
