Bridgehampton-based Stelle Architects (and Remodelista Architect/Design Directory members) specialize in beach dwellings based on the “less is more” principle. Inspired by indigenous forms and materials, the firm’s approach to design and construction is non-invasive and low maintenance; the architects aim to create environments that respect and celebrate the beauty and fragility of the natural landscape on which their projects reside. “Even before I became an architect, I fantasized about how small a space I could live in,” says founder Fred Stelle. “Thoreau’s cabin comes to mind.” To see more of the firm’s work, go to Stelle Architects.
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Above: The Bay Residence by Stelle Architects sits on a rolling six-acre site, which is traversed by a winding half-mile sand covered driveway. The 90-foot-long steel, glass and wood box is cantilevered from a perpendicular concrete plinth, exposing its structure for a tectonic clarity. The south-facing wall of the house is covered with rolling wooden louvered panels to filter the summer sun.
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Above: Under the house, a private, outdoor sitting-room and fireplace is surrounded by dunes and native vegetation.
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Above: The center public spaces are open to the front and rear patios.
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Above: The pool is located in the north-west corner of the patio allowing the water to flow over two sides.
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Above: The polished concrete floor flows throughout the interior and exterior patios.
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Above: Floor-to-ceiling windows bring the outdoors inside while discretely placed terraces and decks expand the sense of space.
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Above: Simple rectangular islands in the kitchen echo the simplicity of the box-like structure.
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Above: Photographs by Jeff Heatley.
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