bates masi + architects completes 'stony hill' house in long island

bates masi + architects has realized a house called ‘stony hill’ for a young family in long island, new york. the private residence is situated on a pastoral site in amagansett — a small village that was first founded in 1680 by early english and dutch settlers — and its design is directly informed by the history of the place, the natural landscape, and local vernacular architecture.

images by bates masi + architects

the site of stony hill, which is located on the border between meadow and woodland, was first cleared by native americans as hunting grounds before the early settlers built a house on it and used the remaining land for communal grazing and pasture. divided into sections, the farmers would move their livestock from one parcel of land to another, meaning no one area would become overgrazed or damaged. fast forward a few hundred years and bates masi + architects seeks to record and pay homage to this synergy between the land, livestock, and the early settlers of amagansett.

in reference to the agrarian history of the site, the architect began the project by splitting the plot into zones, just like the parcels of land for pasture. similar to its past use, each zone contains a different maturity of grasses, however, the scale and density of them vary based on modern needs. high grasses and shrubs create a visual and acoustic buffer close to the road, medium height grasses screen the house from the approach, and low grass and groundcover open up views of the historical site to the rear.

as the site is broken up into zones, so too is the massing of the house. the program is split up into smaller volumes, with each one relating to one of the landscape zones and containing a specific function: public, private, and guest or service spaces. bates masi + architects creates interconnected gabled structures in reference to local barn vernacular but slices through them to bring in natural light and give the traditional architectural form a contemporary twist. meanwhile, steep roof pitches allow for ample second floor space uninterrupted by collar ties.

stony hill also reflects the past in the material palette it’s built with. the shingle siding common to the region is exaggerated in scale, and in reference to the grasses of the pasture, traditional thatch siding is employed but it is packed neatly between the exposed exterior framing in a modern interpretation.

inside, natural materials including oak, clay tiles, and plaster create a warm, cozy environment that feels well suited to the surroundings. the public spaces are centered around oversized fireplaces to bring the family together while large openings frame views of the site and allow the interior space to extend outside, creating a connection to the landscape. overall, bates masi + architects’ goal was to translate the history of the place into a unique architectural vocabulary, and thanks to a delicate balance between referencing the past but designing for contemporary needs, stony hill does just that.