{"id":10490,"date":"2025-11-27T19:00:27","date_gmt":"2025-11-27T20:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rutha.org\/?p=10490"},"modified":"2025-11-28T12:24:54","modified_gmt":"2025-11-28T12:24:54","slug":"desai-chia-uses-camouflaging-effect-for-secluded-osprey-house-in-new-york","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rutha.org\/index.php\/2025\/11\/27\/desai-chia-uses-camouflaging-effect-for-secluded-osprey-house-in-new-york\/","title":{"rendered":"Desai Chia uses “camouflaging effect” for secluded Osprey House in New York"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Osprey<\/div>\n

Charred wood<\/a> was used by US studio Desai Chia Architecture<\/a> to blend this home with the landscape, drawing wildlife to the property and enabling the owners to “inconspicuously observe nature”.<\/span><\/p>\n

The house is located on Shelter Island, which sits between the North and South Forks of the Long Island<\/a>\u00a0peninsula and is only accessible by ferry.<\/p>\n

\"Desai
Charred wood was used by Desai Chia Architecture to blend Osprey House with the landscape<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tucked into a grove of trees, the Osprey House overlooks Gardiners Bay and sits on the edge of the Mashomack Preserve. It is accessed via a small, dirt road that winds around the preserve.<\/p>\n

It was built to serve as a family home for a local builder, who had worked with the architects on earlier projects.<\/p>\n

\"Home
The property has a rectangular plan with one slanted side<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“Our client, Joe Quinn, wanted to build a home for his family here that would foster their love for beach walks, kayaking, and living within nature,” said New York-based Desai Chia Architecture<\/a>.<\/p>\n

To design the home, the team took inspiration from the native osprey birds that are ubiquitous in the area \u2013 their nests appearing in trees and atop piers and telephone poles.<\/p>\n

\"Desai
Angled roof forms were informed by a careful sunlight analysis<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“Their marine nature, adaptability and high nesting places inspired the home’s materiality, organisation and relationship with the coast,” the team said.<\/p>\n

Rising two levels, the house has a rectangular plan with one slanted side.<\/p>\n

\"Kitchen
The layout follows the local tradition of “upside-down” houses<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Angled roof forms were informed by a careful sunlight analysis. Taking cues from nautical forms, the home extends toward the water in a way that resembles a ship’s bow.<\/p>\n

The exterior is wrapped in vertical cypress siding that was charred using the Shou Sugi ban technique, producing a colour that is similar to driftwood found on the beach.<\/p>\n

\"Bedroom
Osprey House extends towards the water<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The cladding took cues from “bird blind” observation towers in the preserve, which are designed to blend with the surroundings.<\/p>\n

“The camouflaging effect minimises visual disruptions for neighbours on the coast and encourages wildlife to occupy the lot, while allowing occupants to inconspicuously observe nature from a perch embedded in the landscape,” the team said.<\/p>\n

\"Desai
The material palette is earthy and restrained<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Inside the 3,700-square-foot (344-square-metre) house, the studio created airy rooms and a fluid layout.<\/p>\n

The layout follows the local tradition of “upside-down” houses, which place social spaces on the upper floor.<\/p>\n

\"Covered
An open-concept living space leads onto the covered terrace<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In the Osprey House, the upper level holds an open-concept space for cooking, eating and living, which adjoins a covered terrace.<\/p>\n

“This offers the raised gathering spaces expansive open views of the marshland ecosystem, and gentle light from the north and east,” the team said.<\/p>\n