This Fire Island Beach House Was Designed Around the Dunes
On New York's Fire Island, Coughlin Scheel Architects has created a coastal retreat that takes its cues from the landscape rather than competing with it. Completed in 2023, the 2,600-square-foot Surf Road House uses cedar siding, carefully framed openings and a restrained geometric form to establish a quiet relationship with the surrounding sand dunes.
The house is organized around offset rectangular volumes that break up its overall mass while defining the interior spaces. Large windows along the southern elevation frame views of the Atlantic, while the more enclosed northern side provides privacy from the street. An oversized timber trellis creates shaded outdoor living space, casting changing patterns of light across the exterior throughout the day.
Rather than relying on dramatic architectural gestures, Surf Road House finds its character in the details: weathering wood, shifting sunlight and the constant presence of the ocean. It's a thoughtful example of coastal architecture designed to feel connected to its setting.
Check out the full project and photography at Coughlin Scheel Architects.
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