Second sites: three vacation homes explore place, space, and leisure time

Residential Architect, July, 2005 by Nigel F. Maynard, Meghan Drueding, Shelley D. Hutchins

The 7,240-square-foot house offers just as many places to retreat as to socialize. Ladder-access lofts above the children's rooms provide extra storage and sleeping areas, as well as cozy play spaces. An additional second-floor play area overlooks the dining room. For adult quiet time, the guest room above the master suite backs up to a library with a fireplace and views of the surrounding woods. The home's tranquil atmosphere takes its dwellers light years away from the bustle of everyday life--just like a vacation home should.--m.d.

project: House in East Hampton. East Hampton, N.Y.

architect: Centerbrook Architects and Planner,,. Centerbrook, Conn.

general contractor: Ionian Development Corp.. Westcott. N.Y.

structural engineer: Gibble Norden Champion Brown Consulting Engineers. Old Saybrook. Conn.

mechanical / electrical engineers: Consulting Engineering Services. Middletown, Conn.

project size: 7,240 square feet

construction cost: Withheld

photographer: Jeff Goldberg/Esto

water rise

Some architects loathe review boards and the maze of requirements they impose. But Phil Regan, a partner at Hutker Architects, thrives on creativity within the lines--of review boards and of architectural context. Regan, who grew up on Martha's Vineyard, turned the town of Aquinnah's regulations into inspiration for this family vacation home. He was so successful in walking those fine lines that the review board now shows off the house as "a model of interesting and fun architecture presented modestly."

In addition to an 18-foot height cap set by the district, there were natural limitations to this project. The site's buildable envelope was a tight, pie-shaped wedge flanked by large, precious oak trees. And view orientations were at cross-purposes, with the water in one direction and the iconic Aquinnah Lighthouse on the exact opposite side. Regan's solution thrilled the owners and bureaucrats alike--the ultimate acclaim and justification for an architect's services.

He started by segmenting the mass of the building into more flexible parts. "You can't put almost 3,000 square feet under one roof and expect it to stay under 16 feet," he says, "so we broke those spaces down." A compact entry sequence fans out into four rectilinear wings spreading toward the water. Like many vacation homes, spaces needed to be comfortable for one couple or multiple families. The compartmentalized plan facilitates that agenda, with central public spaces and two sets of bedroom suites pushed to outer edges. "Two families can be staying here and have private areas away from activity or come together for group interaction," Regan says.

"It's tricky to make a house that feels good for two people as well as 16 people," he adds. "It has a lot to do with scale of the spaces and textures." A half-barrel vault ceiling spans an open kitchen, dining, and great room, offering both intimacy and drama in its climb. The vault's zenith terminates in a window wall. The expanse of glass is a fresh, cool counterpoint to the warm timber-frame interior and tightly connects indoors and outdoors. "It's like we forgot to fully enclose the house," Regan jokes.