Architecture Wednesday: Beached

After last week's trip to a Colorado mountaintop, I decided it was time to come back down to Earth, or at least as close to sea level as possible without going all Submarine and stuff.
So,  I went to Montauk, New York, another one of "those" seaside communities, and found this lovely, somewhat small--who am i kidding, at 7,000 square feet it's not small at all--beach getaway.
It sits on what was, formerly a horse ranch, on one of the highest elevations in Montauk. The house itself is terraced and embedded into the steep slope of the hill without compromising access to the exterior or natural light.
The results seems modest, at first glance. It looks like two separate cedar-shingled ranch houses connected by a bridge. But, what appeared to be two ranches is actually one wedge-shaped steel and wood-framed home in which the public and private spaces are separated by that 40-foot-long bridge.
On the upper level of the main house are the kitchen, dining room, and living room with views of a meadow leading to the water. The house was trenched into the hillside for a garage, laundry room, and maid's room—I’m gonna need a maid, or, more likely, a butler. These rooms are connected by a long hallway to a gym, guest room, and playroom.
This is a house built to entertain, and the architects figured that into their deign. They created what they called “moments of discovery”, via multiple points of entry to the house and landscape. One of the most dramatic of these are the bluestone “bleacher” steps set into the hill beneath the bridge. The reward after the climb up is an expansive view of the meadow and water. If you choose the stairs from the parking area, you come upon an outdoor patio and fireplace.
This house is built to party, relax, meditate, surprise and calm. All things I could do.
As always, click to emBIGGERate......

via Architectural Record