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The modern 1,800-square-foot was built on 8 acres of wooded land in the Catskills.

Outdoor Concrete Fire Pit

A weathered black locust deck merges with a 40-foot lap pool that doubles as a heat sink for the home’s geothermal system. The Hot Mesh lounge chairs are from Blu Dot.

As the facade of a Bates Masi-designed home in Water Mill, New York, rises from eight to 14 feet high, the mahogany planks subtly widen. “It was quite a demand to make of the contractor,” architect Paul Masi says. “But the design was so much about traveling through the site and weaving [the house] together with the deck.”

“The most important thing was to bring a sense of authenticity to the project, like it really couldn’t exist anywhere else or for anyone else,” says architect Jodi Batay-Csorba.

The arc of Erminia and Enzo Mancuso’s integrated carport acts as a portico and plays off the home’s roofline, which steps up to meet the height of neighboring houses.

The architect and owners were in sync on every aspect of the design, including the desire for shou sugi ban siding. “I had been interested in shou sugi ban for a long time,” Herrmann says. “These Japanese cypress boards have been charred, wire-brushed, stained, and oiled. We did a lot of testing to come up with the right dark grey color; it changes in the light.”

To arrive at the front door, one must travel on an informal path of bluestone pavers, then turn 90-degrees to enter. “Discovery and mystery is part of the charm.” Herrmann says. The seven-foot cantilevered covering has an underside of hemlock slats that extends indoors.

By wedging the house into the hill, Herrmann was able to accommodate the owners’ desire to present a low-key face to the neighbors. Living room sliders open onto a concrete terrace that leads down to the backyard.

A tight pattern of slate cladding complements a wild carpet of native grasses outside an East Hampton residence by Paul Masi of Bates Masi + Architects. The home, sited to capture the breeze, was constructed for a family of wind-sports enthusiasts.

BBQ, pizza oven and plenty of serving counter space - including an ice bucket.

The house is hidden from the road and sits on a hilltop clearing that overlooks the rolling farmland of the Mississippi River bluffs in Western Wisconsin. From this vantage point, there is a 270-degree view, with dramatic sunsets over the distant hills.

The view looking south from an upstairs dormer shows the two wildflower meadow roofs that top the home's single-story sections.