The Hamptons are THE premiere get away spot on the East End of Long Island and being “north of the highway” or “south of the highway” is a descriptive that says everything about your property. But for all of the most affluent, being beach front is next to impossible. Architects Harry Bates and Paul Masi had to brave a variety of quagmires over this ¼-acre lot, an investment property left vacant for decades which was ultimately declared to be in a protected wetland. The owners had to negotiate just to build even the smallest dwelling imaginable. Masi says:
“They fought that to the state supreme court.”
A legal judgment ultimately allowed the architects to construct on a footprint of 15 by 20 feet. Even more challenging, the structure had to be more than 6 feet above-grade but no more than 25 feet tall. The septic system and rainwater runoff were hidden in the front yard which was filled with sand and planted with beach grass. Floor to ceiling walls of glass let in the sun, bathing the living space with Long Island light. Every detail has been carefully thought out, from the Sonos sound system to the hidden Miele appliances to the custom indoor and outdoor lighting to the skylight topped lightwell that pierces through the house. It has an ocean view, beach rights an outdoor shower… and, the best part? With the Atlantic just 250 ft away, a access path directly to your own stretch of nearly private beachfront. Price; $1.65 million. Not cheap, but it’s hard to touch any sort of house on the ocean in this neck of the woods for any less than $5 million, no matter WHAT the condition or size. So, in some ways this a rare bargain for modernist Hamptons-obsessed beach lovers…
