Shelter Island House by Koning Eizenberg Architecture

Sitting among mature trees on a rural site at the edge of the water, Shelter Island House by Koning Eizenberg Architecture explores the power of informal space in fostering connections between the built and the natural.

Shelter Island, located between the North and South Forks of the Long Island peninsula, New York, had long been a favourite holiday destination for the homeowners and their children. “Our clients really understood the power of the place and pointed out the views they liked and the spots they hung out,” recalls Julie Eizenberg, co-founding principal of Koning Eizenberg Architecture alongside Hank Koning. Expansive views across rolling lawns, through the neighbouring beach club and to the water beyond were particularly striking, presenting a continuous landscape that the architect was careful to preserve. Accordingly, this 760-square-metre contemporary cabin is set among the trees, to “slip quietly into its seaside setting,” says Eizenberg.

Expansive views across rolling lawns, through the neighbouring beach club and to the water beyond were particularly striking, presenting a continuous landscape that the architect was careful to preserve.

On approach, the dwelling’s low-lying form comes into view, with a “hovering timber porch facing out to the water,” describes Koning. Perimeter posts support beams that extend almost 10 metres into the interior, which, along with the glazed southern facade and use of cedar cladding and concrete throughout, dissolve boundaries between inside and out. This gesture integrates passive environmental strategies to cope with Shelter Island’s “hot, humid and often buggy summers, and cold, snowy winters”.

Timber slats help to moderate western sunlight, operable timber vents supplement interior ventilation and the exterior portion of the roof is scaled to offer shade in the summer and welcome sunshine in during the colder months. “The closely spaced posts offer a sense of protection from the elements while creating a rhythmic, lightweight appearance viewed from the water, beach or deck chair on the lawn,” says Eizenberg. By virtue of the contractor’s experience in timber construction, the post-and-beam house “expresses a level of assembly not usually open to us,” she says.

Shelter Island House’s in-between spaces are adaptable, while thoughtful inclusions, like an outdoor shower and barbecue, invite the family to celebrate the simple joys of living.

A fireplace at each end of the house anchors two lounge spaces, with the kitchen and dining areas set in between, bathed in natural light from an integrated clerestory. Stairs beyond the kitchen lead to the main bedroom – “a retreat within a retreat,” describes Koning, with children’s rooms set along the northern edge. Shelter Island House’s in-between spaces are adaptable, while thoughtful inclusions, like an outdoor shower and barbecue, invite the family to celebrate the simple joys of living. “Our work has always focused on leveraging the power of informal space,” says Eizenberg, “and a beach house is an archetype for that exploration – a place of welcome.”

Architecture by Koning Eizenberg Architecture. Build by Dan Loos Inc. Landscape design by Patrick Conlan Landscape Design.