Double Diamond

Interiors, Residences
O1
O1
Westhampton Beach, New York
When occupied, the façade opens to review a clear view from the Double Diamonds to the beach beyond the family residence. The new residence serves as a backdrop to the Double Diamond. Photography by Rob Cleary.
Double Diamond - exterior
View of the new Double Diamond family residence, framed by the roofline of the historic beach house designed by Andrew Geller. Photography by Rob Cleary.
Double Diamond
The fully restored Double Diamond beach house. Photography by Rob Cleary.
Double Diamond - exterior
Double Diamond is raised above the dune, creating a unique encounter with its geometry. Photography by Rob Cleary.
Double Diamond - main house interior
The interior of the new residence was designed to reflect the history, evolution and contemporary life of the historic beach house, echoing it's simplicity, glamour and eclecticism. Photography by Rob Cleary.
Double Diamond - main house interior
Natural materials define the interiors of the new home, inspired by the mid-century craft of the historic house. Photography by Rob Cleary.
Double Diamond - main house interior
The simplicity of the kitchen creates a center for entertaining, while orienting viewers toward the beach views. Photography by Rob Cleary.
Double Diamond - main house interior
Each room of the new residence orients occupants to the dune landscape. Photography by Rob Cleary.
Double Diamond
The master bedroom opens on to a balcony which heightens its connection to the dunescape. Photography by Rob Cleary.
Interiors, Residences
Westhampton Beach, New York
When occupied, the façade opens to review a clear view from the Double Diamonds to the beach beyond the family residence. The new residence serves as a backdrop to the Double Diamond. Photography by Rob Cleary.
Double Diamond - exterior
View of the new family residence, framed by the roofline of the historic beach house. Photography by Rob Cleary.
Double Diamond - exterior
The fully restored Double Diamond beach house. Photography by Rob Cleary.
Double Diamond - exterior detail
The exterior wall of the new home features a pattern that mimics dune sand patterns. Photography by Rob Cleary.
Double Diamond - exterior
The Double Diamond is raised above the dune, creating a unique encounter with its geometry. Photography by Rob Cleary.
Double Diamond - main house interior
The interior of the new residence was designed to reflect the history, evolution and contemporary life of the historic beach house, echoing it's simplicity, glamour and eclecticism. Photography by Rob Cleary.
Double Diamond - main house interior
Natural materials define the interiors of the new home, inspired by the mid-century craft of the historic house. Photography by Rob Cleary.
Double Diamond - main house interior
The simplicity of the kitchen creates a center for entertaining, while orienting viewers toward the beach views. Photography by Rob Cleary.
Double Diamond - main house interior
Each room of the new residence orients occupants to the dune landscape. Photography by Rob Cleary.
Double Diamond - main house interior
The master bedroom opens on to a balcony which heightens its connection to the dunescape. Photography by Rob Cleary.
O1
 
O1

Situated on the Westhampton Beach dunes, the iconic Double Diamond home is a glimpse into the architectural past of Long Island’s beachfront communities. Commissioned in 1959 by the Pearlroth family, the home’s striking cubic form is the work of Andrew Geller, an architect known for his playful mid-century modern summer beach dwellings. The structure suffered wear and tear through the years, leaving the second generation of the Pearlroth family facing the prospect of demolition. Our studio set out to restore and protect this unique architectural resource and pair it with a new home to accommodate the family’s programmatic needs, while planning for the young third generation and those to come.

We set out to restore and protect this unique architectural resource and pair it with a new home.
Double Diamond
The historic house was restored to its original design by studying archive photographs of the home and Andrew Geller's original architectural drawings. Photography by Rob Cleary.

The Double Diamond was originally constructed within 100 feet of the beach, perched on the dunes with views to the ocean and the Moriches Bay. The addition of a jetty in the 1970s allowed for a buildup of dunes, changing the home’s relationship with the landscape by adding a substantial amount of beachfront and burying its base in an encroaching 10 feet of sand. With the intention to restore, preserve, and keep the historic house visible from Dune Road, the Double Diamond was set back behind the coastal erosion hazard line and raised to its original height to prevent flood damage. A copper roof was installed for long term protection and in keeping with the original design intent discovered in Geller’s original drawings. All salvageable materials were reused in the construction process.

Placing the Double Diamond on fresh piles kept it visible from Dune Road and allowed the new house to be set behind it. The entry purposefully passes through the magical space commanded by the Diamond’s form and into a courtyard designed to heighten the restored home’s indoor-outdoor intentions. An adjacent boardwalk and pool connects the Double Diamond to the new home’s sliding façade, which serves as a natural backdrop for the historic structure. Closed, the hand cut cedar planks form a continuous plane modeled after ridges in the dunes. Opened, they reveal two stories of glazing, providing views from the Double Diamond to the ocean beyond. Complementary in material and form, the two homes create the space required for future generations’ stewardship of an important piece of architectural history.

Collaborators

This project is developed by Jonathan Pearlroth/The Pearlroth Family.

The project team also includes:

Big Ben Security & Communications Corp., Central Air Systems, Inc., Condon Engineering, Hillary Mac Interiors, Hollander Design Landscape Architects, MGO Stone Classics, P.O.B. Electric, Inc., Raynor Marks & Carrington PC Surveying, Reinhardt O’Brien, and Technology Solutions Design Group