In progress / Long Island, NY / Team: Christine Giorgio, Gabriel Vergara

​

Overview

The COVE HOUSE project is a new construction of a single family home situated on Morris Cove in Sag Harbor, NY. The site, at 25 Bluff Point Road, is located within the R-20 Residential District in the Village of Sag Harbor. The lot sits on a gentle slope covered with oak trees. It is bound to the west by Morris Cove and to the east by Bluff Point Road. COVE HOUSE is a two story home with four bedrooms and three baths on the upper level. The kitchen and living room are on the ground floor, in addition to a room with a flexible program.

 

Style & Context

The neighborhood comprised of mostly summer homes. The surrounding houses vary in both size and style - some dating back to the 19th century. A handful of cottages and ranch homes built between the 1950’s and 1970’s remain, however many have been renovated or completely rebuilt by new owners. Notable historic homes include the 1953 cottage once occupied by writer John Steinbeck and the 1850’s home built for a captain at 20 John St. The designers looked to the region’s construction and design history, from the 20th century through the modern era, to develop a vernacular design, responsive to both Hamptons style and local ecology.

 

Site & Ecology

Because the site is located within the wetland jurisdiction, it requires a naturally vegetated upland buffer. These buffers play a critical role in the protection of adjoining wetlands and bodies of water. The buffer region is indicated on the site plan as the Undisturbed Wetland Area and contains some notable features; such as a large Eastern Red Cedar, a Cherry Tree, a Sassafras tree and bayberry bush ground cover. In support of the existing ecosystems, the new construction features a vegetative green roof designed to support grasses and herbs that are attractive to birds and other pollinators. The site also designates a naturally vegetated passage to the bay for wildlife on the north side of the property.