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This section is dedicated to our residential projects. The majority of the architectural work we do is high-end residential, and this section portrays our work in new construction. These projects are a representation of the work we do on Long Island. We are also working as architects in the Hudson Valley, and have completed projects in Greene County and the Hunter Mountain area in upstate New York. The initial meeting with new clients starts with the site. It could be a waterfront house with particular views, or a site with landscaping that the client wishes to view and bring this view into the interior. We look at the room list, or spaces requested by the client, and start to lay out adjancies…. or room relationships to each other. For example, we like to place the kitchen with visual access to the family room, but also near the garage and mudroom for easy unloading of groceries. We also strive for floor plans that are efficient and provide usable spaces. More square footage is not always better, especially as you start to calculate the tax and heating /cooling implications of spaces that are not being utilized. As architects, we feel that a smaller and more efficient floor plan will allow us and the client to realize the architectural design of the residence at its highest level. This level of design includes the creation of interesting interior and exterior spaces, and the finish on the interior and exterior that is up to our (clients and ours) collective expectations.
We consider many planning aspects as we resolve the floor plans with the client: sizes of room, how many spaces, which room are next to each other, which rooms have a view, etc. This is a collaborative process with the client, and is done through meetings with the client by working though a series of tracing paper overlay designs. When this phase is completed, we start to bring the residence up into dimension and create building elevations. The roof line treatment, in our opinion, is one of the most important factors in the overall design of the residence. One factor we consider in roof design is to use passive solar design techniques allowing for summer sun to be blocked and winter sun to enter and help heat the residence. It may seem to be a modern concept, but through descending roof lines, “skirt” roofs, balconies and overhangs that we are able to obtain useful sun control. It adds a level of detail to the residence that is both functional and aesthetic. Regional traditional design has this aspect at the center of design: saltbox house in the northeast, or shotgun floor plans down south. We use vernacular techniques that have come before us to enhance the design and provide an energy efficient building envelope and design.
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Leading Residential Architects
Bouler Design Group was featured in this recent survey of contemporary American architecture. Showcasing BDG’s waterfront homes and high-end residential projects on Long Island, this coffee table book is available for purchase at Amazon.com. This book was also recently reviewed in the real estate section of Newsday.
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Old Field, NY
Situated on the Long Island Sound, this 7,200 square-foot residence features an elevator, interior balcony, and a gourmet kitchen. A barrel vault runs through the house, with panoramic views of the water from the front door, all the way through to the 18 foot high kitchen, and onto the stone patio overlooking the Long Island Sound. Curving walls sweep through the home, flowing from one interior space to another.
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Westhampton, NY
This 4,000 square-foot Dune Road home meets all FEMA flood zone and NYS 120 mph wind zone structural requirements. Using a barrel vault to capitalize on the water views, the interior wooden trusses offer structural ornamentation. The rotunda perched atop the barrel vault houses a home office and balconies which have views of both the Great South Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. This home was featured in the book, Leading Residential Architects.
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Islip, N.Y.
Located in the Bayberry area of Islip,Long Island this 10,000 square foot home is situated on an inlet off of the Great South Bay. James Bouler's design addresses the view to the water with multiple balconies as it provides function for its occupants. The building expresses its athletic roots of a shingle style building despite the fact that it has a brick veneer, seperating itself from the traditional colonial vernacular.
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Hampton Bays, NY
This waterfront, five-bedroom, 3,500 square foot house meets all DEC, FEMA, and local builting requirements, all within a one-and-a-half story framework without sacrificing the client's program. It capitalizes on three sides of waterviews, providing the perfect integration of architecture and setting.
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Brookville, N.Y.
This 9,000 square foot brick home is situated on a picturesque section of Long Island's Gold Coast. The clients requested a unique program which includes a room dedicated to a substantial collection of model trains. The home, being built by the high-end residential builders The Gerold Brothers, draws upon classical elements with a modern twist.
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Oak Beach, N.Y.
Oak Beach
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Oyster Bay Cove, N.Y.
Bouler Design Group was commissioned to design a substantial renovation to an existing two story colonial on Long Island's Gold Coast. The result is a high-end home with quality materials.
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Oyster Bay Cove, N.Y.
This home, set on Long Island's Gold Coast, was a substantial renovation to a two story high ranch. Working with a high-end builder, the result is a shingle-style, spacious home, with modern ammenities.
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Eastport, N.Y.
This Eastport residence is a renewable energy prototype. One of my primary goals and the goal of the client was to design a residence that would fit into a traditional vernacular, yet still perform as a renewable energy building. The predominant vernacular in Eastport is shingle style, so that became the design direction. The orientation of the building is important to have as much roof as possible facing solar south. In this case, this was also the water view. So the house wound up having a porch that will also carry PV solar slates facing south. This also became a passive solar architectural technique, as the roof blocks the more vertical summer sun and allows the more horizontal winter sun to passively heat the residence. It is important to note that the roof shingles, or “Solar Slates” are integrated into the roof, and are not the planes of panels protruding from the roof. These shingles are designed to resemble typical residential roofing shingles, and, according to the manufacturer, this is the first house in the United States to have these particular “Solar Slates“ installed. Biodesiel, Solar Thermal, and geothermal systems were also used on this dwelling.
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Mission Statement
