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Regional Modern: Metro New York Shows Its Modernist Roots
10 contemporary homes outside Manhattan: Clean lines, rooted in place
Houzz Contributor. I am an architect and writer living in New York City. I have Bachelor of Architecture and Master in Urban Planning degrees, and over ten years experience in architectural practice, split between Chicago and NYC. Currently I'm focused on writing and online pursuits. My daily blog can be found at http://archidose.blogspot.com
Houzz Contributor. I am an architect and writer living in New York City.... More »
My last ideabook on regional modern architecture presented urban interiors in New York City, mainly lofts. Architects practicing in and around Manhattan will gladly work on these and other small-scale interior commissions, since ground-up building in the city is so expensive and is relatively rare compared to renovations inside old buildings.
So to see freestanding houses by area architects one needs to look outside the five boroughs to the larger metropolitan area. The five boroughs number just over 8 million people, but the larger urban area — encompassing Long Island and parts of New Jersey, Connecticut, and even Pennsylvania — accounts for more than double that number, a lot of potential clients.
These houses present the New York region and its architects as fairly progressive yet deeply rooted in modernism. Depending on a house's location, exterior materials may let the house blend into its surroundings or standout, reflecting the intentions of the architect and the desires of the client.
More regional modern architecture:
Boston | Chicago | Austin | NYC | Seattle | Oregon | No. Calif. | San Francisco | L.A. | Coastal L.A.
So to see freestanding houses by area architects one needs to look outside the five boroughs to the larger metropolitan area. The five boroughs number just over 8 million people, but the larger urban area — encompassing Long Island and parts of New Jersey, Connecticut, and even Pennsylvania — accounts for more than double that number, a lot of potential clients.
These houses present the New York region and its architects as fairly progressive yet deeply rooted in modernism. Depending on a house's location, exterior materials may let the house blend into its surroundings or standout, reflecting the intentions of the architect and the desires of the client.
More regional modern architecture:
Boston | Chicago | Austin | NYC | Seattle | Oregon | No. Calif. | San Francisco | L.A. | Coastal L.A.
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| A "fact" that has been carried along with modern architecture is that all buildings in the idiom have flat roofs. Of course many do (for a number of reasons, from following Corbusier's "Five Points," to cost of construction), such that houses with sloped roofs stand out from the pack. This project in East Hampton, on Long Island, features an L-shaped plan with roofs that slope perpendicular to each other. |
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From another direction the house appears more traditional, but the standing-seam roof that wraps down to the wall is definitely unique compared to most Hamptons houses.
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| Elsewhere in East Hampton is this house whose rear portion overlooks a pool. From the garage back is a series of sloped roofs, with this rear volume sloping the opposite direction. This opens up the house to the rear yard, especially in the covered patio beyond the table and chairs. The wood cladding gives the house a sense of being rooted in its place. |
| Another house on Long Island that appears rooted to its site is this house in stone and wood. The landscaping also plays a role in this presence, especially the way the it rises from front to back (like the house), culminating in the mature trees behind the house. |
In one of the other Hamptons — Bridgehampton — we find this house striking for cantilevering on both ends. This gesture is not arbitrary, as it lets the dunes and path pass under the house with minimal intervention. The glass walls take in views on all sides.
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| While the Hamptons is littered with second homes of Manhattan's rich, Fire Island is a popular weekend spot that explodes in the summer months. Fire Island is technically a barrier island on the Atlantic side of Long Island. Needless to say, views of the ocean and access to the sand is of the utmost importance. This house greets visitors with two options: a ramp into the house or a walk directly to the shore. |
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From the shore, the Fire Island house is made from a series of terraces that provide plenty of outdoor space for taking in the Atlantic. The lower floor opens up to bring more of the outdoors inside. The wood-slat exterior is a very nice cladding that roots the house in its sandy environs.
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| Another house by the same architects shows the similarities and differences of the prefab modules the firm uses in their residential commissions. Located in New Jersey, this house is more closed than the Fire Island House, though it uses a similar cladding and large expanses of glass. |
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| Another house in New Jersey shows a more International Style design, with the whitewashed top floor and ribbon windows. I like the way the house is formed into an L-shape, creating an outdoor space accessed by sliding glass doors on both sides. The cantilevered upper floor and the window in the wall adjacent to the patio indicate that something special can be found to the right beyond this photo. |
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| Moving north, this house in New York's Hudson River Valley is also reminiscent of the International Style with its simple volumes and horizontality. Yet the way the house responds to the contours of the site by following the drop of the land is notable, giving the building a sense of respect toward the landscape. |
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| Another view of the house shows the other side extending into the landscape, alongside the rocky slope. The windows make it clear this is the side away from the street, where the interior is connected to the landscape via lots of glass. |
| This house in Connecticut, a renovation and addition of an old yet fairly modern house, is yet another International Style house, stemming from the whitewash that covers old and new. While the addition has larger windows, it looks like a natural extension of the existing house, carrying on the character of the house. |
| Another view of the house shows the intimate scale of the addition. I love the firewood nook next to the doors. |
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| Last is this house also in Connecticut. Here we return to the wood cladding that integrates a house more strongly with its surroundings. Over time the skin will weather to give the wood an even softer appearance, melding it with the rock garden in front. |
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| Another view shows this house straddling the two approaches I presented here: It both roots itself with the wood cladding and stands out from the natural surroundings with the corrugated metal siding that is perpendicular to it. The rock garden is certainly a unique touch, something transplanted from elsewhere but nevertheless appropriate with the simple, modern forms. More regional modern architecture: Boston | Chicago | Austin | NYC | Seattle | Oregon | No. Calif. | San Francisco | L.A. | Coastal L.A. Next: More Inspiring Architecture Modern vs. Contemporary: What's the Difference? |
Comments
zealart these are beautiful. I wish we could see the interior of them too.
20 months ago · Like
456789123 really classic i like i wish to see the interior also
19 months ago · Like
deedeelouise I admire your ideabooks...always informative, educational and beautiful!
19 months ago · Like
Ideabook updated on Nov. 7, 2011.
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