Considered a ‘must see,’ onlookers would come from the Island and beyond, many transported by amphibious airplanes from New York City to experience the so-called ‘demonstration house.’ In 2002, the current owners undertook rebuilding the home on its original sprawling footprint, maintaining the elements of its mid-century modernist design while sparing no expense to bring this 20th-century masterpiece up to 21st-century living standards of ultimate comfort and high-end quality.
91 Ram Island Drive is the culmination of twenty years of work by internationally renowned architect William Pedersen. A triumph of contemporary design and expertly crafted by Wright and Company Construction, the house sits on almost 3 acres of rolling native meadow that gently slopes onto over 220 feet of pristine beach, with Gardiners Bay beyond.
Based on a multi-axis linear framework and emphasizing the contrasting textures of the primary building materials of concrete, wood, copper and bluestone, the structure is at once both awe-inspiring and effortlessly comfortable. Set at the convergence of three distinct landmarks – the lighthouse in Gardiners Bay, Gardiners Island and the entrance to Coecles Harbor – an unparalleled 360-degree panoramic view unfolds in front of the property.
The house itself seems to rise like an island from the water, as was the conceptual inspiration for the design. Clad in stone and sheets of standing seam copper, the 3-bedroom residence offers an open flow between the public spaces at the heart of the home, the expansive outdoor entertaining areas that define the summer lifestyle and the long passageway of the private bedroom wing. Singular in design and function, 91 Ram Island Drive is, in every sense, a habitable work of art.
The result is a home with four gabled boxes connected by glass hallways. The two double-story bookend boxes are the private living spaces for each client and the two center boxes house the shared common spaces with one box for the kitchen and dining area and the other for the shared living room.
For many years, a married couple and a friend shared a summer cottage rental on Shelter Island. When they each began the process of looking for property to build a new, year-round vacation home, they decided to maintain the house-sharing relationship in order to maximize resources. A key part of the project brief was the desire to reference the vernacular farm and cottage architecture prevalent on the east end of Long Island.
Another component was the need to support separate living spaces for two families with a shared kitchen and common living area, but maintain a floorpan that could support a single-family scenario if they ever decided to sell the property. Each client also wanted a second-floor master bedroom to maximize views onto the bay behind the house; in each master bedroom, there was the desire to position the bed under the ridge looking out the gable end onto the water. To round out the floor plan, we added extra bedrooms and bathrooms for guests, and a private living room and covered porch for each family.
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