Gwathmey Legacy by Martin Architects
Gwathmey Legacy is an inspiring mid-century house located in Amagansett, New York, redesigned in 2021 by Martin Architects.
Description
Nestled in the heart of Amagansett sits a Charles Gwathmey-designed house. A short stroll from the ocean, this house sits next door to the famous structure he designed for his parents. A historic landmark in its own right, the goal of this project is to preserve Gwathmey’s vision for the house, while engendering in it a reimagined scope that brims with a modern energy.
In keeping with Gwathmey’s material palette, we have contributed the use of finishes that define his style like the interplay between cedar, stone, glass, and steel, but have expanded it further to include newer materials not available when he first designed the house. We have introduced channel glass, rain screening, and concrete floors. In doing so, we aim to enhance and embody the character of the house. Through careful detailing, we reduce the potential for awkward connections and underscore the beauty of the home’s mid-century scale and form.
We made it a point to embrace the original grid on which Gwathmey designed the house. Doing so, we were able to add to the home’s an indoor-outdoor spa equipped with translucent infrared sauna and cryogenic plunge pool, all clad in Gwathmey’s signature Dal square tile to the home’s program. To enhance the connection from the outdoor pool to the tennis court beyond, we opened the structure with a central breezeway. Additional door and window openings in the main structure were made and then clad in an elegant rain screen.
Throughout the house, the interiors are crafted in wood and tile in the same manner as the original but with a focus on passive and active green practices. The overall result is a celebration of Gwathmey’s genius. The materiality and scope of work strive to highlight his masterful attention to detail and livability in residential architecture.
Photography courtesy of Martin Architects
Visit Martin Architects
- by Matt Watts
