Long Island

Founded in 1914, the Sayville Public Library on Long Island's south shore recently completed construction of a new facility to replace its existing 11,000-square-foot space. Designed and engineered by Melville-based H2M Group along with local architects LPA Associates of Roslyn Heights, the new 2-story, 38,000-square-foot library was dedicated back on June 28 and boasts a number of green design features, including a geothermal heating and cooling system and building-integrated solar panels. Although the project did not seek any third-party certification for its efforts, its design also includes efficient plumbing fixtures and a variety of measures aimed at boosting indoor air quality. The additional square footage increased the library's children and young adult sections and also created additional programming space and meeting rooms. The Sayville Public Library is located at 88 Greene Avenue in Sayville; Park East Construction built the project, which broke ground on January 17, 2008.

On December 22, 2008, the Southampton home of Mr. and Mrs. David Dubin was destroyed in a fire. Local architect Richard Stott learned of the Dubins' plight and connected the couple to the Hamptons Green Alliance ("HGA"), a group of local professionals dedicated to building a net zero energy home in the community, but who were still searching for a suitable project. Mr. Stott approached the Dubins on behalf of HGA, and preliminary plans for the project are moving forward under the LEED for Homes rating system.

The Dubin House will seek a Platinum rating from USGBC but what's particularly interesting is that the project team plans to compare the new home's performance with data from the old one. Telemark, Inc., the project's general contractor, has devised a way of tracking the carbon impact of building materials and systems and hopes to certify the project as carbon neutral, as well as execute a design that should create a house that is net zero. The project team also includes Lee Architecture and Stott's own firm, Flynn Stott Architects, P.C., which is considering an integrated project delivery ("IPD") structure to construct the house.

We're still tracking what's happening with the Sag Harbor-based firm's 132 North Main Street project, but in the meantime want to point you to Bates Masi + Architects' Re-Cover House, which will be featured in the April 2009 issue of Dwell magazine. The firm actually designed the house nearly 35 years ago as a Long Island vacation home in Amagansett but recently executed a renovation and addition for a new set of owners; the project earned a 2008 AIA Peconic Chapter Merit Award for Architecture/Renovations & Additions. In order to boost the house's square footage, its original south wall and deck were removed but cyprus wall boards and cedar wood decking therefrom were preserved and recycled into new siding, stair treads, scrim material, and risers. By preserving such materials, the firm was able not only to complete the project by using very few new materials, but also preserve the original design intent of the house across both the renovated interior walls and exterior cladding, which was almost completely constructed originally from twelve-inch wide cypruss clapboards.

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