The design of this weekend family retreat on Shelter Island, NY responds to the location’s wistful beauty with a post and beam house that slips quietly into the setting. The family’s wishlist made perfect sense given the hot, humid, and often buggy summers and snowy, blustery winters and included shaded and screened decks, an outdoor shower, big fireplaces and good ventilation.

From the street, the house is hidden among the trees. As you walk around the corner, the end of the porch, that extends the length of the house, comes into view. It’s wood posts, set four feet on center, support beams that extend some 30 feet back to the kitchen where a clerestory above brings sunlight deep inside. 

The unfinished wood is quickly turning gray, gaining character as it ages. Operable wood vents supplement airflow in the summer and the low sun penetrates deep into the interior in the winter to add additional warmth. Rooftop photovoltaic panels help to keep energy use down.