Located on a narrow peninsula in Sag Harbor, with access to water on all sides, Morris Cove by Bates Masi + Architects is a peaceful lake home. The architects, Paul Masi and Aaron Weil, whose personal affinity for this part of the world and appreciation for the site’s heritage enhanced the architecture and interior design of this peaceful lake home, have crafted a family house that will, over time, ameliorate the site’s natural conditions and deepen the residents’ connection to the landscape.
Bates Masi + Architects were approached by the clients – a large family “whose love of this special place makes them stewards of the site more than just owners of it,” notes Paul – to conceive a peaceful lake home. “Previously, there was a home here and, frankly, it was contributing to the erosion of the property, so one of our goals was to look at a new design that would be beneficial to the property.” Therefore, Bates Masi + Architects decided against a renovation or refurbishment, opting instead for a family house that takes cues from Arts and Crafts style architecture and contemporary design ideals.
The result is a family house that pays deference to the landscape while responding to the clients’ patterns of living and briefing requirements. Stretching along the peninsula and oriented towards the water, the architecture encompasses five pavilions beneath an overarching roof structure, including a kitchen, dining and living area as well as bedrooms and bathrooms. The spaces between the pavilions feature operable glass doors that completely disappear into the walls when the weather allows. This level of integration dissolves the barrier between the interior design and the garden, allowing for a series of sequential spaces that change with the seasons.
Given the project’s commencement as a new build as opposed to a renovation, the layout and interior design were conceived to match the clients’ tastes and aptitudes. The decor illustrates a characterful composition, which is elevated by a careful curation of art and objects. The decor is highlighted in the house tour, which takes viewers through the peaceful lake home in exceptional detail. In the kitchen, a pared-back palette of materials is fittingly rustic yet contemporary; the views to the garden and lake take precedence; and integration creates a seamless aesthetic.
Importantly, the form also deftly addresses various environmental considerations, as seen in the house tour. The folded detail of the roof structure houses mechanical equipment safely above storm surges, consequently directing run-off into the courtyards. Also, a series of foundations prop the house up, minimising the structure’s impact to the ground as well as the amount of floodwater displaced in a storm. As Aaron explains, “the foundations of these courtyards not only support the building but are raised above the grade and act as basins that collect the roof run-off and then slowly filter it back into the ground.”
In keeping with the project’s pursuit for longevity, the exterior materials speak to an enduring design rationale that nods to the area’s heritage as well as to a contemporary mindset. Each of the pavilions is clad in ipe – a dense and resilient wood native to Central and South America – with silicone bronze bolts and screws, which will patina over time. The copper detailing above will also naturally weather, leaving tracings across the exterior from trickling water. As Aaron says, the client really responded to “materials with character and patina; everything was thought about in terms of generations.”
In direct response to the brief, Morris Cove’s two-pronged purpose – to exist for its inhabitants as well as for the environment within which it sits – has been beautifully executed by Bates Masi + Architects. This peaceful lake home will stand as a legacy for many years to come.
00:00 – Introduction to the Peaceful Lake Home
00:50 – Designing for the Landscape
02:19 – Accomodating for the Weather
02:44 – The Layout of the Home
03:51 – A Character Filled Material Palette
05:00 – An Extension of the Architecture
05:28 – Favourite Aspects of the Home
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Photography by Pablo Veiga
Architecture and interior design by Bates Masi + Architects
Build by Men at Work Construction
Landscape design by Stimson.
Filmed and edited by O&Co. Homes.
Production by The Local Project
Location: Sag Harbor, New York, United States
#Peaceful #LakeHome #HouseTour
