The Kowalewski Modern Residence in Atlantic Beach by Belmont Freeman Architects

January 5th, 2011 - Posted in Modern House

The Kowalewski Residence is 3600 SF home, with modern design located in Atlantic Beach, New York. Atlantic Beach is an established beach community on Long Island, immediately outside of New York City. The Kowalewski Residence designed by Belmont Freeman Architects, this modern house designed as a primary residence for a family with two small children. It is filled with modest homes of the 1920s and 30s in the Tudor, Spanish and Art Deco style. When real estate prices rose in the last decade, the village saw many “tear-down” activity, the old house has been replaced with a much larger home. Kowalewski’s residence is a clear attempt to insert a modern house in the village context in a way that respects the scale and architectural traditions of the community. The house is not good or a lot of bulk to maximize the coverage allowed by zoning. It is oriented with a narrow face – only slightly wider than the home of former parking lot – into the street, with traditional side driveway and rear garage. Tread the compact footprint on the northern edge of Lot 85-foot-square to maintain the extensive gardens with mature trees. In form and materials the house recalls the village’s Art Deco heritage.

The structure is steel, with light-gauge metal floor framing and walls and energy efficient EIS envelope. Principal exterior materials are stucco, black slate, stainless steel and glass. The steel and wood stair floats in a glass tower in the shingled panels of frosted glass, like a jalousie window above-scale. For privacy, the street façade is almost empty, while the main room all open to the park to the south. The ground floor has an open plan for living a relaxed and maximum connection to the outdoors. The second floor hallway with skylights continue to cause four bedrooms and three bathrooms. A sun room / guest suite on the third floor opens onto a large roof terrace with panoramic views of the island and the ocean. The clients and collectors of contemporary art works from some of their artist friends – such as marble flooring in the foyer entry – is incorporated into the architectural design. Via [...]