- Project: Robins Way House
- Architect: Bates Masi Architects
- Location: United States, Amagansett, New York
- Year: 2011
- Area: 186 m2
In Amagansett, New York, Robins Way / Bates Masi Architects reimagines a 1960s prefabricated kit house as a peaceful weekend escape for a creative couple—a DJ and an interior designer—seeking refuge from urban life. Their goal was not just a renovation, but a sensory-rich reinvention grounded in sustainability, acoustic performance, and visual storytelling.
Reinventing the Old: From Skeleton to Sanctuary
The original structure was stripped to its post-and-beam framework, laying the groundwork for a new architectural language. Within this framework, Bates Masi Architects wove a vision that preserved the soul of the old house while infusing it with modern materials and functionality.
A defining element of the design is a digitally fabricated rope ceiling system. Woven between existing joists, this tactile material does more than add texture. It becomes a multifunctional solution: softening acoustics, integrating lighting, and concealing technical components. For a DJ homeowner, this innovation isn’t just aesthetic—it’s functional, turning the ceiling into an acoustic baffle that enhances sound quality while absorbing ambient noise.
The Rope as Structure and Style
The rope element evolves from ceiling detail into structural and visual focal points. In the Master Bathroom, it supports a custom steel-framed mirror. In the Dining Room, it holds a sculptural chandelier. A large sliding screen, also woven from the same natural rope, filters sunlight and provides privacy from neighboring homes, casting elegant shadows across the floor throughout the day.
Sustainable Materials: A Story in Texture
Throughout the project, reclaimed barn wood introduces warmth and continuity. It clads new interior walls and cabinetry and even forms the surround of a glass-enclosed shower, creating the illusion of bathing in nature. This choice not only reflects the clients’ appreciation for material patina and history but also emphasizes a commitment to resourceful reuse over wasteful new construction.
Exterior Harmony and Contextual Response
The exterior is unified with dark-stained cedar siding, flowing seamlessly across facades and into the frames of newly installed windows and doors. This treatment ensures that new interventions speak the same visual language as the original structure, maintaining harmony and minimizing visual disruption to the neighborhood.
A Model for Responsible Vacation Architecture
In a community often driven by teardown culture, Robins Way stands as a case study in preservation and transformation. Rather than erase the past, the architects chose to reinterpret it, celebrating the home’s original bones while weaving in new life through materials and craftsmanship.
This thoughtful reinvention by Bates Masi Architects exemplifies how timeless design can emerge from constraint—and how architecture can respond to both personal narrative and environmental awareness.
