Three Barns Make a Unique Home in Peconic

A Brooklyn family is now living in their dream home, nestled up in the scenic North Fork, thanks to the assistance of San Antonio-based Lake Flato Architects. Consisting of three barn-like structures wrapped in cedar, the “North Fork Residence” sits quietly in Peconic completely overlooking the bay; and the firm in charge took notes from the local scenery to complete its final look.

According to Kelly Wechman, project director at Lake Flato, the clients came to the firm with a property they purchased looking to build a home for their friends and family to gather.

“The property is on a beautiful, wooded property with a bluff down to the Peconic and they came to us with the notion that they wanted to build a house that would feel like camp,” she said. “A guiding principle early on was that it needed to be a comfortable place for their friends and family to spend time with one another.”

Wechman and team took that direction and went with it. After visiting the property, which had previously housed several vacant structures, they decided to use the surrounding woods and water to navigate the new life that was soon to be built.

“We stuck with the quiet feel and drew inspiration from some of the things we were seeing,” she added. “Like simple barns and utilitarian structures that are beautiful in their simplicity.”

The previous structures on the grounds included a carriage house that the team was eager to rejuvenate.

“We thought the carriage house could have a new life, and the collection of the other little houses would look like camp,” Wechman said. “Arriving at the residence, you ditch your car and walk by foot … You’re truly leaving any notion that you’re near the city. It’s a totally different experience.”

Looking west, the 4,206-square-foot “living barn” overlooks the bay. One side holds the kitchen, living room and dining room, while the second part of the home features its bedrooms. Anchored north is the homeowner’s work studio, while the old carriage house was converted to a small guest barn on the southern side of the property. That structure houses three bedrooms and a living space. The property also features a pool.

In the building stages, Weckman and the rest of the Lake Flato team hired a New Hampshire-based firm that specializes in prefabricated wooden structures and built the house offsite to then transport by ferry — from Connecticut to Orient Point. It was then driven, half built, to the property it lives on today.

Weckman said that prefabricated wood can be quickly built in a controlled environment with little waste, a huge benefit, especially as it was being built during the pandemic.

“The client came to us wanting those materials and we felt it was important, natural and appropriate for the place,” she added. “It felt nice in this region to use a lot of wood.”

All three of the buildings feature barn-life forms, dark-stained cedar siding and metal gabled roofs, and show open, airy windows that can bring in the cool breezes from the surrounding bay. However, during colder months, the house can be buttoned up.

“When you’re in the house, you’re in tune with your surroundings and the sun passing through each day,” Weckman said. “You’re more in tune with the landscape.”