Manhasset House

HARIRI & HARIRI ARCHITECTURE

2019

Project Brief

I led the design of this house as one of two options pursued by H&H. This design was chosen by the client and is currently in the design development phase.

In its Long Island context, the design is a response to the overwhelming presence of pastiche McMansions. The house aims to express the possibilities of contemporary architecture and technology to its surroundings.

The extensive requirements of the client are balanced with the restrictions imposed on the site by local code in relation to its close proximity to Manhasset Bay.

A sculptural form is perched on an inhabited plinth which is buried into the site. At the southwest facing entrance the house firmly meets the ground, maintaining an air of privacy and solidity with a largely blank facade. Towards the bay in the northeast, the house opens up dramatically with large expanses of glass and cantilevered balconies.

Contextual Flows

These diagrams are a direct response to the analysis of the site and express how the aims of creating density, connectivity and sense of place can be met.

The highest densities occupy the voids within the highway loops and a raised public plaza provides an urban centre. Connecting pathways stretch out from this space, drawing together flows of people from the surrounding area.

Flow Studies

The next progression accentuates the fluidity of the diagram, allowing it to express a system of complex interactions between people.

The pathways are divided and exaggerated linearly. As each element converges and rises, horizontal merges into vertical and the elements decrease in diameter, the masses becoming more transparent and outward-looking.

These studies aim to convey both the analysis and the characteristics of the site itself. It is hoped that they could inform any future development on the site.