To respond to the unique opportunities of each client and site, Bates Masi + Architects has developed an approach rather than a devotion to a particular style. Careful study of the needs of the site and owners uncovers a guiding concept particular to each project. It may be derived from the owner’s interests, the site’s parameters, or the character of the place. That concept is distilled to its essence so that it can inform the design at all scales, from massing to materials to details. The consistency of the concept is evident in the finished product. It imbues even small details and simple materials with meaning, thus making the mundane memorable and timeless. The result is an architecture that is cohesive, innovative, contextual, and full of details that delight. ‘Bespoke Home’ is the first comprehensive survey of Bates Masi’s 50 plus years of work, including several never before published works. It focuses on the firm’s residential portfolio, specifically 2nd homes on the East End of Long Island. Using each house as a case study, the book documents Bates Masi’s design process with concept images, diagrams, and narratives for each project. This book demonstrates how influences of the physical and historical context, as well as the client, are distilled into a guiding concept for each project. Construction drawings and details show how this concept is implemented in response to the requirements of site parameters, budget, climate, and structure. Finally, never before published photos show how the finished product reflects the concept at every scale. With a foreword by noted architectural critic Paul Goldberger and over 200 pages of photos and drawings of extraordinary 2nd homes, Bespoke Home will appeal to architects and design devotees alike. AUTHOR: Paul Masi received a Bachelor of Architecture from Catholic University and a Masters of Architecture from the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University. He worked at Richard Meier and Partners before joining this firm in 1998. Harry Bates received a Bachelor of Architecture from North Carolina State University. After ten years with Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, he was in private practice in New York City for 17 years before moving the firm to Water Mill on the East End in 1980. 200 colour photographs
