East Hampton Modern by Workshop/APD

Unlike many coastal homes, East Hampton Modern by Workshop/APD is not defined by its proximity to the beach or sweeping ocean views. It finds its grounding in an agricultural setting, where abundant wildflowers and swathes of farmland set the tranquil, bucolic tone.

The client – a New York City-based executive – spent many years holidaying in the preceding home on the property. Having outgrown the compact dwelling, he approached Workshop/APD to design a larger residence that would not only embrace the surrounding landscape but house friends and family for weekends and overnight stays. “We started to think about how you develop a house like that, and that’s what brought together this idea of a contained main house with a separate two-bedroom guesthouse all under one roof,” says founding principal Matthew Berman.

Clad entirely in shou sugi ban charred timber with a black, standing seam metal roof, it references the barn-like vernacular typical to the area through a bold, contemporary lens.

The resulting home is defined by a series of gabled forms that stretch across the site. Clad entirely in shou sugi ban charred timber with a black, standing seam metal roof, it references the barn-like vernacular typical to the area through a bold, contemporary lens. Located at the end of a winding driveway – which contributes to the feeling of a respite from the hubbub of nearby East Hampton village – it is immediately captivating in this leafy setting.

Though the form plays a heavy hand in this home’s identity, so too does the landscaping. Conceived by Abby Clough Lawless of Farm Landscape Design, wildflowers and natural grasses envelop the home, lapping at its edges and surrounding the pool. It’s wild and delightfully untamed, leaning into the pastoral nature of the locality and providing a pleasing visual dichotomy against the crisp built form and blueness of the pool. As Matthew comments, this unruliness is what sets the project apart. “Abby has created an amazing wonderland,” he says, adding that the planting comes “right up to the coping of the pool so you really feel like this home is set in a natural environment that, frankly, has been very untouched or unmanicured in a way that [differs from] a lot of other properties in the area.”

The arrival sequence brings guests into a central, covered breezeway separating the main house to the right and the guesthouse to the left.

The arrival sequence brings guests into a central, covered breezeway separating the main house to the right and the guesthouse to the left. Directly ahead is the pool and garden, which unfurl from the timber deck, drawing visitors deeper into the property. “When you walk into this space, you’re underneath this amazing umbrella of a roof – it really contains you but you’re still outside,” explains Matthew. This volume facilitates a moment of pause at the heart of the home, simultaneously embracing indoor and outdoor elements and providing generous sightlines across the property.

Stepping inside, guests are greeted by an open-plan kitchen, living and dining area. Fully glazed walls capture views, and a unified material palette echoes the exterior. “We wanted to bring that darkness and richness inside so that it wasn’t jarring when you moved from one to the other,” explains Matthew. The powder room, primary bedroom and bathroom are all located deeper into the plan, and a private outdoor shower sits at the tip of the house. Here, a small opening in the full-height timber walls frames a charming vignette of the farmland – it’s a welcome conduit to the home’s context and a clandestine spot to watch the world go by while washing off sandy feet.

Matthew says the surrounding fields and the elements within them – like fencing and rusty old machinery – ultimately enhance the atmosphere, facilitating the singularity of this environment and the home that now sits within it.

One of this project’s most consistent threads is its distinct connection to landscape. Not only has the home been conceived as a response to its context, framing views and dissolving the boundaries between indoor and out, but it embraces the site’s natural condition. Matthew says the surrounding fields and the elements within them – like fencing and rusty old machinery – ultimately enhance the atmosphere, facilitating the singularity of this environment and the home that now sits within it.

Architecture by Workshop/APD. Build by Shoshi Builders. Landscape design by Farm Landscape Design. Engineering by Craft Engineering Studio.