In a fashion atypical for Hamptons waterfront vacation homes, the client, a stage actor, wished to build the most modest home possible on the smallest parcel permitted. In so doing, he could sell the remaining portion of the lot he had inherited to finance his artistic lifestyle.

The house is conceived as a black box theater that with minimal means achieves the most dramatic effects: heightening the experience of the site and the interactions of the inhabitants. It is a scripted sequence of alternating interior and exterior spaces coiled into a compact volume around a double-height core to reduce the building’s footprint. The resulting contrast between intimate and open spaces encourages interaction at different scales while referencing the theatre. For instance, a catwalk crosses the double-height space to the master bedroom, providing an aerie from which to survey the public space below. The interior and exterior stair parallel one another, providing indoor circulation and outdoor tiered seating overlooking the deck and water views beyond.

To minimize costs, a palette of 4 materials, 1 light fixture, and standardized door and window sizes were used throughout.

The limited budget and site accentuate the house, paring it down to the essential experience.