Project Details
- Project Name
- Bar House
- Location
- NY
- Architect
- Audrey Matlock Architect
- Project Types
- Single Family
- Project Scope
- New Construction
- Size
- 8,500 sq. feet
- Year Completed
- 2016
- Shared by
- Hanley Wood
- Project Status
- Built
2017 Residential Architect Design Awards
Custom House More Than 3,000 Square Feet | Honorable Mention
The 8,500-square-foot Bar House by Audrey Matlock Architect sits at the high point of a 13-acre site in Sag Harbor, N.Y. Its L-shaped composition encloses a south-facing courtyard with a pool at the center of its manicured gardens.
The primary living spaces—entry, kitchen, dining, and living (as well as two guest rooms) are located in a single-story volume that runs along the north edge of the property. The flanking leg of the L houses the family’s private spaces, and floats above an outdoor living area that is adjacent to the swimming pool. V-shaped metal columns that support the bedroom wing nod to the numerous trees that dot the site’s dual landscapes—natural forms and native vegetation to the north, and more formal layouts of trees and natural grasses to the south. The order of the scheme caught the eye of the jury: “It’s incredibly well detailed, and I particularly like the simplicity of the section,” R. Michael Graham said.
The house is clad predominantly in glass, but zinc panels along the north edge provide interior walls to showcase the owner’s contemporary art collection. The open-plan living areas extend into the courtyard through floor-to-ceiling glazing, providing visual continuity between interior and exterior. In the bedroom wing, metal sunshades protect east- and west-facing glazing from the sun, with deep overhangs along the south elevations.
Geothermal heating and cooling support the more obvious sustainable strategies that shield the predominantly glazed house from solar heat gain.
Visit ARCHITECT to see the rest of the winners of the 2017 Residential Architect Design Awards.
Project Description
FROM THE ARCHITECTS:
The Bar House site is 13 acres of gently sloping land abutting a 500 acre protected forest preserve. Access to sunlight and views informed our strategy to locate the structure at the site’s highest elevation. Two linear volumes are stacked in perpendicular fashion. One physically engages the landscape at ground level and one is raised above with access to a green roof and views over the trees. The landscape design on each side of the house is different. To the south, lines of trees and plots of tall grasses extend the building’s formal order outward; and to the north, natural forms and native vegetation transition into the forest landscape. At all levels there are multiple interior/exterior visual and spatial intersections. The house sits lightly on the ground. In contrast to its natural surroundings, the building exterior has a precise quality. Exposed steel structure, vertical sunshades and alternating glass and zinc panels are exactly detailed. At the ground level, thin ‘V’ shaped columns that support the upper floor recall lanky forest trees. Interior spaces are choreographed to reflect the family’s active lifestyle and love of nature while highlighting their contemporary art collection. Open family spaces flow from house to courtyard. Throughout the house artwork placement and landscape views draw parallels between manmade beauty and the natural surroundings. At the lower level a dozen large paintings float between glimpses of the forest. At the upper level, vertical sunshades soften the light along a linear gallery. The design incorporates passive and active sustainable strategies. Building orientation, south overhangs, east/west sunshades and green roofs are supplemented by geothermal heating and cooling and heated floors.
