Located on the north shore of Long Island, the Riverhead House is a 2000 square foot home shared by the families of siblings. The I-shaped form was generated programmatically by a separation of public and private space necessitated by the functional requirements of having two families occupying the home simultaneously. Two linear private wings flank a public rectangular volume. Each family is designated one of the private wings that hosts a primary bedroom and primary bathroom as well as an additional bedroom for their kids or guests. The public rectangular volume is an open layout that includes the kitchen, dining, and living spaces.

The house is situated on a unique beachfront property that is surrounded by water on three sides — the Peconic Bay to the south and a creek to the east and north. The environmentally sensitive site had to be carefully considering at the very beginning of the design process. RES4’s modern modular prefab process reduces the amount of construction on-site by shifting a majority of the work into the factory, thus reducing the overall impact on the land.

A concrete foundation supports five prefabricated 16’-0” wide modules over a crawl space. The site-built deck and exterior stair leads to the roof where a future roof deck will provide additional space for gatherings with expansive views to the north and south towards Peconic Bay. The aforementioned rectangular volume for congregating has full height glass sliders on both the north and south perimeter to connect with the outside. Off the south side of this space is a deck shaded by a large trellis where the families can relax, eat meals together, or hang out by the pool.