Oceanfront House, Deal, NJ
Photo Credits: Ethel Buisson

Concept
P+FC has recently been retained to remodel a 1950s modular, redwood and glass beach house along the New Jersey shore not far from the entrance to New York Harbor. The proposed design replaces one wing with a two-story addition and creates an outdoor semi-enclosed court facing the ocean. Visitors enter a double ramped gallery that rises along with the ceiling to the spectacular ocean view at the end of the Living room. A private balcony, suspended above the Dining space, provides the Master Bedroom suite with views of the ocean and indirect views of the pool through the Living areas.

Monastery Residence, Bordentown, NJ

Concept
P+FC evaluated the historic 19th century monastery site and the feasibility of renovating and restoring it to accommodate a program of 157 units of Assisted Living and Enhanced Care Residences for the elderly. A new entrance drive court and two-story wing were positioned within the walled portion of the complex to provide a contemporary entrance and subdivide the space into separate courtyards to serve the different populations. Outside the monastery walls P+FC designed simple four-plex townhouses for seniors capable of independent living. Inside the four-story Monastery structure P+FC combined and converted nuns' quarters into residential apartments and chapels into central dining and group activity areas. A two-story glass enclosed Lobby greets visitors and connects the new enhanced care residential wing to the existing monastery structure.

Central Park Residence, NY

Concept
P+FC removed portions of existing bedroom and kitchen walls in a conventional contemporary midtown NYC two-bedroom apartment to create a highly flexible and functional pied-a-Terre loft space for a newly retired couple. Floor-to-ceiling height sliding partitions separate work, living/dining and bedroom areas and, when all are open, expose the entire exterior wall of the apartment overlooking Central Park to view. Dimmable, indirect ceiling lighting is placed along the exterior wall to control the contrast from the park view and used again at the formal dining area to connect the two experiences. The open kitchen floats in the middle of the space and a six-foot square granite prep surface also functions as a communal counter for informal dining. Custom built-in hinged and pivoted cabinetry hides home office equipment and audio-visual entertainment systems within partitions to eliminate clutter and simplify spatial planes.

Country House/ Estate Additions and Gardens, Pottersville, NJ

Concept
A hundred acres complete with stream, ponds, fields, orchards, horse barns and stone farmhouse defines this country estate located in the western hills of New Jersey. The owner has chosen to maintain the property as a working farm while converting the residential components from primarily weekend use to full-time occupancy. P+FC’s involvement began with a commission for a teahouse near the pond, previously used mainly for irrigating crops and maintaining livestock. P+FC situated the structure precariously at the edge of a small island and designed a narrow wood bridge for access. Basic materials and connections understate a complex bracketed cantilever used to extend a simple folded plane of cedar roof shingles over a wood platform set knee high above the pond surface. Sliding cedar screens are positioned on two sides for protection from excessive sun and breezes. Subsequent commissions from the owner have included a 5,000 SF two-story addition to the original stone house and the design and implementation of a full landscape plan for the estate in collaboration with Spanish landscape designer Fernando Caruncho.

Fifth Avenue Residence, NY

Concept
The spaces and buildings surrounding Central Park take on the colors of the seasons as expressed in the foliage during the day and the colors of the sky in the early morning and evening. By utilizing highly lacquered surfaces above and below windows, introducing vertical etched glass panels and polished corrugated metal partitions and suspending translucent plastic ceiling panels, P+FC was able to extend and amplify the quality of natural light into and throughout the major spaces of the residence. All internal walls defining habitable spaces were removed and new partitions of rotating translucent glass panels and motor operated double lined drapes were introduced to dematerialize the physical boundaries between functions and maximize the flexibility of living arrangements required of a bachelor in NY.