The family wanted a home that was open to the beauty of the surrounding nature, while still being closed off from the threat of damage. For protection and durability, the architects enclosed each living area in its own structural concrete box, each with a unique view.
“Concrete is durable,” Plumb told Ocean Home, “but there’s also a beautiful relationship between the concrete and the beach. Sand is used to make concrete and it’s locally sourced, so the home’s building material is rooted in context.”
Related: Bates Masi Architects unveil tiny, daylit Beach Hampton House
Double-height windows in the main living area provide a view to the beach and the ocean beyond, but they also presented a difficult challenge. How could they be protected from hurricane-force winds? The solution, water-jet cut metal screens, keep the windows safe while also enhancing the privacy of the home.
The screens also create a unique interior design element. As sunlight filters through them, it produces a striking pattern on interior walls and floors that shifts and changes as the day progresses.
One of the most enticing features of the home is a hidden garden on the second floor, which is surrounded by glass and features limestone pavers interspersed with hardy sedums. “It’s a green roof, open to the sky,” Plumb told Ocean Home. “In a house where all the other spaces are geared towards the ocean view, it’s an intimate, contemplative space.”
Images by Chuck Choi and Jane Messinger.
