Raising the Roof
Visitors to a new East Hampton house designed by Workshop/APD might first find themselves looking out, their eyes drawn to the lush, lawnmower-free all-seasons meadow created by Abby Lawless of Farm Design. But soon they’ll look up and see that those views are perfectly framed by a roof structure—five gables made of black standing-seam metal on top of Japanese-style shu sugi ban wood siding—that is, in its own way, equally dramatic. The structure has none of the weather-beaten shingles that define a typical Hamptons house, but as Workshop/APD associate principal Tyler Marshall recalls, its thoughtful design and excellent execution convinced everyone (including the local community) that it was the right fit for the job.
“The roof structure on this project is thoughtfully engineered so it doesn’t need excessive supports or columns within the house,” says Marshall, who designed the house. “This leaves the floor plans open, which is functionally and aesthetically appealing.” And perfect for a client who loves to host.
The roof was executed—and, indeed, conceptualized—with the help of fellow Brick & Wonder members, CRAFT Engineering Studio, longtime collaborators who were brought into the design process at an early stage. For CRAFT, the project offered an exciting challenge. They were able to produce a roof that cantilevers in multiple directions with minimal support. Custom beams and connections were modeled digitally before being fabricated, a sophisticated, boundary-pushing process masked by the final product’s effortless appearance.
“When architects and engineers engage as creative partners, structure becomes more than support; it becomes part of the architectural language,” says Nathaniel Stanton of Craft Engineering. “The shared respect for design intent, detail, and craft made it possible to deliver a home where every element feels intentional, unified, and quietly expressive of the collaboration behind it.”
