Genius Loci Residence in Montauk, NY

Montauk is a small seaside community in New York, boasting a unique history in which the border between reality and myth is very blurry. The weather is always unpredictable here, with gusty winds and banks of thick fog. An old radar tower and abandoned bunkers make the landscape even more mysterious.

All these characteristics would determine most people to look somewhere else for a vacation home, but the owners of the Genius Loci Residence decided this was the perfect place for their house. So they contacted Bates Masi Architects  and asked them to capture the special “Spirit of Montauk” in the house project.

The site is located on one of the highest points in Montauk, on a former horse ranch. The terraced program is embedded into the hill’s slope, making the house appear to be very modest, if looked at from the south: one can only see two one-story ranch buildings from the distance. The architects tried to meet the clients’ expectations by adding different unexpected details to the fascinating architecture of the house. The cedar screen of the bridge for instance looks differently during the day than it does when the night falls. Natural light makes it appear flat, but at night, “light seeps out in an undulating pattern showing the wedge shape cut in the back of the boards”.

Many other similar unexpected details give the house a special charm. Genius Loci Residence also gives a sense of freedom to its dwellers, as it offers multiple possibilities of exploring its 7,000 square feet of living spaces. The house can be entered from different corners, and there is no prescribed path for exploring the premises.