For Morris Moinian, it’s all about the light.
In Southampton Village in the Hamptons, where multi-million-dollar mansions fill the landscape like so many tract homes, this Persian-born New York real estate entrepreneur wanted a profoundly different structure that would celebrate the sun, while creating a living space that welcomes his guests.
He envisioned a home of pure white and one that would pass the exacting scrutiny of the village’s architectural review board.
Marcello Pozzi is the Los Angeles architect who accepted Morris’ challenge, using 12-foot tall wood windows custom made in Italy, and polished teak and travertine marble to create a stunning contemporary design that not only captures the natural light but also connects with the East End landscape just past its sliding doors.
“Light is filtered throughout the entire house,” explains Pozzi. “Even the peaked gables are made of glass to allow us to bathe virtually every part of the living space in the ever changing textures of light and shadow. In addition, the glass gables are detailed with vertical wood, a brie soleil design that allows light to be filtered onto the tall ceilings and cathedral space that grace the bedrooms.”
With 100 feet of operational windows, Moinian also wanted to bring the outdoors inside which is why the surrounding landscape isn’t a gardener’s afterthought. It’s an integral part of the design that can be appreciated from inside the home, allowing the owner to embrace the aspects of nature that make this location so compelling.
Pozzi actually provided Moinian with not one but two houses. “The original intent was to design a separate guest house, but what we did was create a residential compound of two equal residences for Morris that allows him to welcome his weekend visitors,” says Pozzi.
“In doing so, we created structures that offer a tremendous amount of volume with a spectacular visual impact, connected by a glass gallery beside the pool.”
The two connected pure volumes are arranged in such a way as to create an elevated travertine beside the pool, creating an elegant, minimalistic colonnade that surrounds the main house.
“We wanted to create a cohesive architectural place that would allow landscape, interior and exterior spaces to relate to each other,” Pozzi adds. “Even though this is a modern design there are always classical references in the organization of spaces.
“We have sought to create a memorable contemporary house for entertainment that provides significant volume with soaring entrances and an open plan, although we were very conscious of using local Hamptons materials for the exterior such as vertical flush wood siding, horizontal lap joint siding and shingle roofs.”
For more information on Marcello Pozzi and his designs, visit www.mllo.net