COMPLETED: 2025

LOCATION: Amagansett, NY

PROGRAM: Single Family Residence

A Resilient Retreat on the East End
Reimagining Coastal Living in the Wake of the Storm

This project exemplifies our expertise in designing a home for hurricane-prone areas and demonstrates how sustainable design for waterfront properties can create sanctuary by the sea. After sustaining significant damage during Hurricane Sandy, a modest seaside home on Long Island’s East End has been given a new lease on life—one that combines resilience with refined coastal charm. Determined not only to rebuild but to future-proof their property, the homeowners embarked on a comprehensive renovation that transforms this compact retreat into a stylish sanctuary by the sea.

The first step was a feat of engineering. To meet updated FEMA flood regulations, the original structure was carefully lifted and repositioned atop a newly poured, reinforced concrete foundation, elevating the living space to 12 feet above sea level. This crucial intervention ensures the home is now better equipped to withstand future storm surges while providing a solid base for its elegant redesign.

Though modest in footprint—just 850 square feet—the house has been smartly reconfigured to maximize both function and flow. The interior now features two cozy bedrooms, a streamlined bathroom, and a luminous great room where kitchen, living, and dining seamlessly converge. A vaulted ceiling and a fully glazed gable flood the space with natural light, while an expansive exterior deck extends the living area outdoors, blurring the line between inside and out.

Material choices speak to both durability and beauty. The home’s gable ends are clad in black-stained hemlock, offering a striking contrast to the warm Alaskan yellow cedar shingles that wrap the roof and exterior walls. Impact-rated windows and doors provide not only panoramic views but also protection against the elements—an essential in this ocean-adjacent locale.

Inside, the palette is both calming and luxurious. Richly veined quartzite countertops gleam beneath the soft light that filters through the great room, while custom white oak cabinetry and wide-plank flooring lend a sense of organic warmth. The effect is that of a finely crafted jewel box—elevated in both form and function, and designed to weather whatever nature may bring.

With its thoughtful balance of resilience and refinement, this coastal home now stands as a testament to the power of design to offer not just shelter, but sanctuary.