Fire Island is a narrow strip of sand off the south shore of Long Island. A dynamic barrier of dunes, sand flats, lagoons, sunken forests and vegetated wetlands, it has recently faced the challenges of sea level rise and hurricanes.
The local construction culture is determined by the car free nature of the community as only light material can be moved around the island. Shingle style architecture is ubiquitous. The new house is entirely made out of lumber, from structure to interior finishes. It sits on piles 20′ deep into the sand and 8′ above ground, high above the floodplain. Like giant overlapping shingles, black stain plywood sheets are used to cover the house, decks, piles and ramp.
