"What would Gwathmey do?" House in the Dunes, restoration and careful transformation of a piece of modern architectural history

It was originally the Haupt residence, designed in the 1970s by Charles Gwathmey, a member of the famous group of architects "The New York Five." Now fully restored and respectfully modified according to the needs of its new inhabitants, the House in the Dunes gains new life while remaining true to its creator

We are in Amagansett, New York State; the Worrell Yeung architectural firm is commissioned to completely renovate the House in the Dunes. Big fans of Gwathmey, the architects initially wanted to alter as little as possible. The residence sits in an elevated position on a one-acre lot, nestled among sand dunes overlooking the ocean. The large rectilinear structure is clad in gray cedar and punctuated by gaps cut into the facade at doors and windows

Each room is skillfully sculpted from the large exterior volume and is filled with natural light. The interior of the house has a direct connection between the interior and the exterior, extending beyond the polygonal pool to the ocean. With Gwathmey's original drawings in hand, which served as a guide, Worrell Yeung carefully updated the spaces and made subtle changes to create a more functional home while maintaining the integrity of the original design. "At every step of the process, we asked ourselves, 'What would Gwathmey do?" says Worrell

For the exterior, the renovation included a complete replacement of the building envelope, including the roof, cedar siding, doors and windows, skylights, and pool deck, all designed in detail to preserve the essence of the original design. Internally, the redesign involved a thoughtful rethinking of the kitchen area to create more openness and connection with adjacent living spaces and the pool area. To achieve this, Worrell Yeung removed a half-wall that divided the kitchen from the living room and opened up the space in plan. This small relocation was one of the most significant changes made to the original structure

The material palette and finishes were reinterpreted by the architects to reflect Gwathmey's original designs. From the white pine paneling to the laminate on the kitchen counter (which Worrell Yeung replaced with a similar material), the attention to detail is unmatched