2017 Best of Design Award for Building Renovation: Black House

Architect: Oza / Sabbeth Architecture
Location: Sagaponack, New York

This project is an adaptive reuse of a quintessentially “humble” ranch home dating back to the postwar era. The design forms privacy zones that allow for multiple uses within the confines of a small footprint. The house was expanded by a private courtyard, an indoor-outdoor dining space, and an art studio. All these spaces are simultaneously linked and hemmed in by a glazed vestibule that also serves as the entrance. Inspired by a piece of furniture designed by Ineke Hans for the Danish design group Moooi, the architects developed an exterior skin of black rubber and recycled plastic (80 percent post-consumer). The rubber serves to seal the existing structure from the elements and the recycled plastic screen forms a protective barrier for the rubber skin while also doubling as a sunshade to mitigate heat gain on the black surface.

“The innovative facade got my attention, but it was the plan that really captured my interest. A surprising subversion of a common domestic type and a smart use of space. ”
—Morris Adjmi, Principal, Morris Adjmi Architects (juror)


Landscape:
Geoffrey Nimmer Landscapes

Builder:
Saldana Builders

Engineer:
Struktur Studio

Honorable Mentions

Project: Billboard Building
Architect: SHULMAN + ASSOCIATES
Location: Miami, Florida

Next to an interstate highway, this three-story, 1920s commercial building occupies a narrow lot in Miami’s Design District. Shulman + Associates’ design for the renovation incorporates the existing building, expanding it with a 90-foot addition. The west facade functions as a commercial billboard space, while another facade is designed for art installations.

Honorable Mention

Project: The Beckoning Path
Architect: BarlisWedlick Architects
Location: Armonk, NY

The Beckoning Path converts a hillside home into a wellness center and retreat. The 1961 house featured a timber-framed roof perched within the tree canopy. The renovation completely opens the glass pavilion of the upper level, reinforces the monolithic plinth of the lower level, and inserts a hovering green roof and indoor pool.