Architecture firm Garnett DePasquale Projects has completed Meadowlark, a striking 3,853-square-foot residential project wrapped in black-stained cedar siding on a tree-lined lot in Sag Harbor, part of New York's prestigious Hamptons area. The four-bedroom, two-bathroom house, which was finished in 2023 after a four-year design and construction process, represents a significant departure from traditional Hamptons architecture.
Originally conceived as an extension to the clients' neighboring property, the project evolved into a standalone residence due to site constraints and zoning restrictions. The New York City and Sag Harbor-based architecture studio faced unique challenges in positioning the house on the small lot, ultimately placing it at a 45-degree angle and pushing it further back from the street to comply with local height regulations.
The design transformation was dramatic, as principal Pete DePasquale explained that the project "started with something that looked like a faux whaling museum" before morphing from a traditional gabled design into a large, singular modernist box. The final design features horizontal blackened cedar lap siding broken into small segments with vertical battens that run continuously from the foundation to the parapet, creating a sophisticated textural pattern across the exterior.
The house presents two distinctly different facades that reflect its dual nature of privacy and openness. The front elevation is almost completely opaque, featuring only a single door and window, while the rear facade opens dramatically with floor-to-ceiling glass walls spanning both levels. This stark contrast creates what principal Rebecca Garnett describes as a careful balance between accessibility and privacy.
Inside, the architectural team emphasized "platonic and rational form" throughout the interior layout. The entrance is centrally positioned in the plan, but the staircase completely separates the floors and strategically divides the program to create constantly changing views between the interior spaces and the rolling landscape beyond. The simple, modular form expressed in the window mullions carries through consistently to the interior design elements.
The interior palette combines various shades of green throughout the house, appearing in tile work around the fireplace, a velvet sofa, and a sunken lightwell, which helps soften the modernist interiors with both visual and tactile textures. Floor-to-ceiling curtains provide practical solutions for managing light and heat through the expansive glass walls. Natural wooden floors create a warm contrast against black metal columns and window frames, while black and white stone adds marbled patterns to the sleek countertops in both the kitchen and bathrooms.
The choice of blackened cedar siding reflects a broader architectural trend in the Hamptons region, where this material has become increasingly popular in recent residential projects. Similar applications can be seen in other notable local projects, including a renovated multigenerational house by BarlisWedlick, a home studio extension by Worrell Yeung, and a distinctive residence that interior designer Timothy Godbold designed for himself, which he playfully dubbed a "villain's hideout."
The project involved an extensive team of specialists, with Garnett DePasquale Projects' core team including principals Becky Garnett and Pete DePasquale, along with Nicole Marple and Chris SooHoo. Interior design was handled by Amy Su, while RLW4 Builders served as both main and interior contractors, also managing the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems. Structural engineering was provided by DiLandro Andrews Engineering, lighting design by Fisher Marantz Stone, and landscape design by John Verderber Jr. working with Rachel Williams. The project was professionally documented through photography by Nicholas Venezia and Read McKendree, courtesy of JBSA.
