Recreation Addition

Set on seven wooded acres on Long Island’s North Shore, the original residence was constructed in the mid-1960s. A decade later, a recreation wing—featuring an indoor pool, squash court, lounge, and game room—was added. When the current owners acquired the property, the wing had fallen into significant disrepair: the pool was unusable, conditioning systems were inoperable, and the overall design clashed with the architectural language of the original shingle-style home. Most notably, the pool enclosure had been conceived as a massive steel-and-glass greenhouse, starkly out of step with its surroundings. The clients sought to transform this space into a modern, year-round retreat for their large, active family. Their vision prioritized stronger visual and spatial connections between the wing and the main residence—already renovated—as well as the integration of multiple uses: indoor swimming, lounging, exercise, gaming, and housing a collection of saltwater fish. The renovation began with a complete gutting of the recreation wing down to its steel superstructure. From there, the exterior volumes were reclad in natural shingles and complementary materials, restoring a sense of continuity with the main house. Inside, the steel frame of the former greenhouse now supports a folded ceiling plane clad in laminated wood planks. Concealed skylights and ambient lighting bring a soft quality to the space. A glass bridge crosses a tranquil koi pond, leading visitors to a striking row of transparent fish tanks, creating a living partition between the pool and lounge. Multi-slide glass doors open & connect the interior space to a new rear garden.   In the game room, a helical stair was removed and replaced with a new linear staircase, now situated adjacent to the indoor sport court. This new stair serves as a connective spine, linking the upper recreation spaces with a lower-level gym and children’s gaming area.