The 1990s modernist house was striking with its steep, shingled roofs atop a divided concrete base, but John Berg, AIA, saw opportunities for improvement while respecting the design by Charles Forberg. “He shut down the principal views to the water and had a number of spaces with awkward head height that weren’t that usable,” John says.
The renovation “elevated the house quite significantly,” the jury noted. It enclosed the breezeway entry between the divided first floor in high-performance glass, unifying circulation. A floor plate inserted into the double-height art studio and carefully proportioned dormers cut into the pitched roofs increase livable space without diminishing the geometric silhouette.
Oversized 9-foot doors replaced standard doors, allowing in greater daylight past deep eaves and improving views of Accabonac Harbor. A custom steel pergola over an extended pool deck echoes the language of the dormers.
Along with upgrading the building envelope and electrifying utility systems, the project updated interior finishes. Maple veneer replaced a plywood ceiling finish that had assumed a green cast, vibrant blue wall tile enlivens the kitchen, and slatted wood screens and a perforated metal-screen bridge railing complement the owner’s eclectic furniture and art collections. “It took us a while to mix their industrial and Japanese farmhouse aesthetics with this existing modernist building,” John says, “but it all works well together.”
Citation · Custom Period or Vernacular Renovation
Accabonac House by Berg Design Architecture
East Hampton, New York
Project Credits
Architect: John Berg, AIA, principal in charge; Alexander Chaintreuil, project architect, Berg Design Architecture, New York
Builder: Peter Germano, Germano Builders, East Hampton, New York
Project size: 5,990 square feet
Site size: 2.2 acres
Construction cost: Withheld
Photography: Simon Howell Photography
Key Products
Appliances: BlueStar (range), Faber (ventilation hood), Bosch (dishwasher, icemaker, oven), Dacor (refrigerator), LG (washer/dryer), XO (wine refrigerator)
Cabinetry: Reform
Cabinetry hardware: Reform
Cladding: Alaskan yellow cedar
Countertop: Caesarstone
Door hardware: Emtek
Faucets: Hansgrohe (kitchen, shower), Kohler (secondary)
Finish materials: Heath Ceramics
Fireplace: Rais
Heat pump: Mitsubishi Electric
Housewrap: Henry, A Carlisle Company
Lighting control systems: Lutron
Lighting, exterior: B-K Lighting, Hinkley
Lighting, interior: Nora Lighting
Millwork and trim: Alaskan yellow cedar
Paint: Bona (interior)
Pergola: Steel, Alaskan yellow cedar
Photovoltaic system: GreenLogic
Roofing: Alaskan yellow cedar
Shower: Heatgene (outdoor)
Sinks: House of Rohl (kitchen); Kohler (primary bath); Duravit (secondary); Kraus (utility)
Thermal and moisture barriers: GCP
Toilets: TOTO
Vanities: Reform
Ventilation, bathroom: Fantech
Window shading: Hunter Douglas
Window wall systems: Alvio
Windows: Alvio