Bates Masi, Oza Sabbeth Win AIA New York State Design Awards

Two South Fork architecture firms — Bates Masi + Architects and Oza Sabbeth Architects — have won accolades in AIA New York State’s 2024 Design Awards

AIA New York State, an organization of the American Institute of Architects, revealed the 29 winners of the 2024 Design Awards on January 17. Both Bates Masi + Architects and Oza Sabbeth Architects earned recognition in the category “Residential Single Family Detached, 2,500 square feet and over.”

Bates Masi + Architects, based in East Hampton, won for Morris Cove, a 3,325-square-foot guest house that replaced a problematic existing home on a narrow peninsula with access to water on all sides.

According to the project synopsis, Morris Cove enhanced the site by reducing erosion, mitigating flood risk and improving water quality.

“The design solution is a series of discrete pavilions with an overarching roof structure,” the synopsis states. “The spaces between the pavilions are adaptable based on the environmental conditions, creating unique experiences that change with the weather and seasons. Meanwhile, the roof and the courtyards at the center of each pavilion functionally improve the hydrodynamics of the site.”

The five pavilions, with plaster walls and bleached oak floors and ceilings, contain a master suite, two guest suites, a kitchen and a family room. Exterior materials include ipe siding and decking and copper soffits, a palette that continues through indoor/outdoor public spaces with glass doors that disappear into the walls when the weather allows.

Courtyards with a unique garden design store and filter rainwater before dispersing it into the aquifer.

“Like terrariums, the intimate gardens contrast the wildness and openness of the outside landscape,” the synopsis states. “Roof runoff is directed into the garden courtyards rather than being hidden in downspouts. In light rain the runoff trickles down the copper siding leaving patina patterns over time. In heavy rain, it arcs down into the gardens in dramatic streams.”

Oza Sabbeth Architects, based in Bridgehampton, won for Great Oak, a large New England-inspired home with gently curving gables on a site surrounded by forest in East Hampton. Amid the COVID pandemic, the firm was tasked with creating a new house in the style of a traditional East Coast vernacular cottage. According to the project synopsis, the firm “took on the project with an eye toward retaining the clients’ original aesthetic drives while creating something entirely visually new.”

“The main goal for this project was to create a house that brings together elements of a classic, traditional style home with the ideas of a modern, contemporary design,” the synopsis continues.

The gable roof structure sits atop the glass-walled main level.

“This expressive roof almost floats above the glass, creating optimal views to the surrounding forest, and large breezeway spaces that blend the line between indoors and outdoors,” the synopsis states.

The design plan, based on the idea of rotational symmetry, includes a ground-floor modernist glass box that “feels like it’s floating on the wooded site, bringing a moment of clarity and a connection to the outdoors,” and a second floor with three bedrooms — two of which are identical — centered on a double-height atrium.

The Design Awards recipients will be honored and the award levels will be revealed at a virtual award ceremony on Thursday, February 6.

“I am deeply impressed by the exceptional quality and ingenuity demonstrated in this year’s submissions,” said Terry Welker, the jury chair for the contest. “They are clear evidence of how caring and dedicated New York architects are to the cause of design excellence and place making. These projects reflect a profound understanding and commitment to sustainability, environmental stewardship, and the unique cultural contexts in which they are situated. They are a testament to the power of design to positively impact our communities and shape a more vibrant future.”

AIA New York State 2024 President Willy Zambrano, FAIA, added: “The AIA New York State Design Awards are a testament to the extraordinary talent and dedication of our state’s architects. These awards celebrate their innovative spirit and their ability to create spaces that enrich lives and inspire communities. I extend my sincerest congratulations to all the esteemed recipients.”