South Fork Architects and Projects Win in Archi Awards Contest

Numerous South Fork architects took home honors when AIA Long Island, a chapter of the American Institute of Architects, held its 60th annual Archi Awards Gala at the Garden City Hotel on November 7.

The South Fork’s strong showing in the competition also included many projects that were completed here by architects based elsewhere on Long Island or in New York City.

Paul Masi of Bates Masi + Architects in East Hampton was presented with the Architectural Achievement Honor Award, which AIA Long Island presents to an architectural firm or individual architect that has produced distinguished architecture consistently for at least 10 years.

In addition, Bates Masi + Architects won an Archi Award as well as a Best Use of Wood in Architecture Award for the residence “Mohegan Trail” on Block Island.

“The design for this home is derived from the challenges of building on a remote island with limited access to tradespeople and building materials,” the project synopsis states. “With no cargo boat access to the island, all equipment and materials arrive by passenger ferry within strict size and weight limits. The home on a coastal bluff must also be durable to withstand violent storms, and simple to repair.”

The design called for common dimensional lumber in short spans and close spacing of studs, rafters and joists so they could be easily assembled by hand.

“Out of necessity, the design is a return to core design principles, vernacular forms, and proven materials,” the synopsis states. “As such, it minimizes maintenance and worry, allowing the owners to focus on enjoying the island’s natural beauty and one another’s company.”

In another contest, the 2024 Wood Design & Building Awards presented by the Canadian Wood Council in October, “Mohegan Trail” won an Honor Award.

In the AIA Long Island contest, the firm additionally earned a commendation for “Shinnecock,” a Southampton residence.

Stelle Lomont Rouhani Architects won five Archi Awards. Three were for residences: “Ocean Bluff” in Montauk, “Seaside” in Wainscott” and “Springy Banks” in East Hampton. The other two were for residential interiors: “Ocean Bluff,” again, and “Union Street” in Sag Harbor.

“While a newly built structure, Ocean Bluff emits an overall feeling of permanence, longevity and surprise, similar to an excavated archeological site,” the firm says of its double-Archi-winning project.

Sag Harbor architect Lee Skolnick’s Skolnick Architecture + Design Partnership won AIA Long Island’s President’s Award and recognition in the Unbuilt Projects category for the Lexington Children’s Museum planned for Lexington, Kentucky. The firm also won the Color Award and nonresidential interiors honors for the headquarters of New York Edge in Woodside, Queens. The Young Adult area expansion at the East Hampton Library earned the firm a commendation in the institutional category.

Martin Architects in Bridgehampton earned two Archi Awards for residences: one for “Azurest Legacy” in Sag Harbor and the other for “Surfside” in Montauk.

Barnes Coy Architects in Bridgehampton earned an Archi for “Treasure Coast,” a residence in Treasure Coast, Florida.

London Architecture + Design, based in Hampton Bays, won an Archi in the small firm/sole practitioner division for “Casa Noir” in Sag Harbor.

Lower Manhattan’s Lynne Breslin Architects earned both a small firm/sole practitioner Archi and a residential commendation for “Tumbling Walls,” in East Hampton.

“The house appears to float,” the project synopsis states. “Using a hidden steel frame structure, the expansive curtain wall windows extend across multiple floors and culminates in a razor-thin roof. The floor plates are disengaged from the exterior non-load-bearing walls This creates the illusion of walls dissolving, allowing occupants to feel as if they are living in an open-air environment. The large swathes of glass offer breathtaking views, making the home feel more like a natural extension of the landscape than a traditional wood frame structure.”

Oza Sabbeth Architects in Bridgehampton took home two commendations, once each for “Sandpiper” in Bridgehampton and “Great Oak” in East Hampton.

Sag Harbor and Manhattan firm Garnett.DePasquale received a commendation for “Meadowlark” in Sag Harbor.

Narofsky Architecture in Queens earned a commendation for “Bergstein Residence” in East Hampton.

G2 Design + Development, a New York- and Connecticut-based firm, got a commendation for “New Beach Home” on Dune Road in Westhampton Beach.

Paul Russo Architect, based in Locust Valley, earned a commendation for a project titled “Amagansett Addition and Renovation.”

SheltonMindel, with offices in Southampton, Manhattan and Miami Beach, earned the Window Award for “Long Island Waterside Retreat” in Southampton and its accompanying pool house.