As spectacular existing natural sites are hard to come by, there has been a significant effort to re-create a "native" look or natural setting. The places we live are woven into these settings. The very essence of "natural" suggests that nature is the dominant landscape. In the Beach House, the most memorable feature is its natural setting - the dunescape.

The beach house, located on a small lot in a fragile sand dune ecology, celebrates the dunes of Long Island. Dirtworks adopted the position to touch as "lightly as possible" on the site by allowing the beach house to become part of the native landscape. Important ecological considerations include the prevention of beach sands erosion by re-establishing a dense network of roots of native plants; recharging groundwater by maximizing impermeable surfaces; and stabilizing the ecology of dunes destroyed during the construction process. The result is a subtle reminder that we are part of a very special and ever-changing ecosystem.

The program for outdoor living areas of this project includes areas for cooking, dining, showering, and casual gathering. Screening from nearby houses is essential. Modular, weather-resistant pallets connect these outdoor living spaces. "Finger terraces" extend into the dunes, integrating architecture with the dunescape. The development of retaining walls, the layout and pacing of the stairs, the massing of plant materials create a spatial intimacy contrasting with the long distant views dominated by the native landscape.

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