The founders of New York studio BoND have renovated a mid-century house for themselves in Fire Island Pines, in which sightlines to private spaces are intentionally open.
After visiting and enjoying the island for years, architects and husbands Noam Dvir and Daniel Rauchwerger bought the 1965 cottage in the infamous queer enclave off Long Island in celebration of Dvir’s 40th birthday.
The duo set about modernising the house to represent their own architectural style while honouring the modernist masters who designed some of the barrier island’s most significant buildings.
“The island retreat is BoND’s personal reinterpretation of the experimental homes that were built there in the 1950s and 60s led by visionary architects like Harry Bates, Marcel Bretos, Earl Combs, and the prolific Horace Gifford,” said the BoND team.
They settled on a vibe that blends their “signature institutional locker room” style with the celebrated modernism
“Calling it a machine for voyeurism, everything is on display,” said the team, which aimed to “execute the fine line of both sexual playfulness and desire.”
By that they mean a urinal installed so that it’s visible from the front door, and strategic sightlines into the master bedroom or onto the deck and hot tub.
The floor plan was tweaked to accommodate these changes, but existing windows and doors were reused to work with the revised layout.
In the living room, anchored by a wood-burning stove, a pair of leather-wrapped Knitting Chairs from Audo accompany a large day bed that’s striped to echo the rug and cushions.
A spherical paper pendant hangs from the existing ceiling beams stained with “smoke and sweat” over the large wooden dining table.
Floorboards both indoors and out are laid diagonally against the principal walls, extending to a new circular hot tub recessed into the raised deck. One of the bathrooms is lined with bright yellow tiles that match the patio furniture.
Overall, the design celebrates “features that were already there and uses standard materials like clapboard siding and square bathroom tiles, making a home that is so ‘The Pines’,” the team said.
Fire Island Pines has been a haven for the queer community since the mid-20th century, and still has a wealth of summer homes built during that era.
Many have required upgrades over the years, and recent renovations have seen a bayfront bungalow overhauled by Rodman Paul Architects, a Gifford-designed property updated by Andrew Franz, and a Sears Catalog kit house also refreshed by BoND.
The studio was founded by Dvir and Rauchwerger, who both trained as journalists before shifting focus to architecture.
Along with several residential projects in New York City, BoND’s other recent projects include store interiors for fashion brands Le Père and PatBo.
The photography is by Chris Mottalini.
