Northwest Harbor House

East Hampton, New York

Straddling freshwater wetlands and a tidal estuary just six feet above sea level, this houses site demands extraordinary sensitivity to environmental concerns. Local zoning restricts the structure’s maximum coverage and proximity to wetlands areas, while FEMA requirements set the first floor structure above the base flood elevation. The houses basic massing is therefore predetermined, limited to a one story, 1,900 square foot design, raised eight feet above the ground. The spaces within this envelope are arranged, articulated, and fenestrated based on an innovative structural system that infuses the houses inner areas with light and circulating air.