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ON THE SHORES OF LAKE MONTAUK, MURDOCK YOUNG ARCHITECTS BUILD A SHOWPIECE FOR MODERN LIVING

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AIRY ABODE (click photo for larger view)

"FROM THE OUTSIDE, THE THREE CEDAR-SHINGLED BUILDINGS—the five-bedroom main house, a three-bedroom guesthouse and a barn-like garage—resemble an old-time family summer compound, perfectly sited on Lake Montauk. One could be forgiven for thinking they were vintage structures, the kind that started as one-room outbuildings and grew organically over the years.

KITCHEN MAGICIAN (click photo for larger view)

"That's the effect we were looking for," says architect Robert Young of New York City–-based Murdock Young Architects, who designed the group of buildings for a couple with three young children. In fact, it's all new construction, and the ultra-modern interiors bear that out: they're bright and white, with soaring trussed ceilings and walls of glass that play to the light and views.

LAKE VIEWS (click photo for larger view)

Though the main house measures 4,300 square feet, its layout makes it feel more intimate. It is a microcosm of the whole compound, explains Young: "Three simple vernacular shapes—I call them Monopoly houses—are linked together by a tissue of more modern glass and steel." The central element contains the living room, with an open kitchen and dining area. The smallest volume is for guests, a separate bed/bath suite that can be entered directly from outside. At the opposite end of the living space are the family bedrooms, including a playful, dorm-like children's room with four bunks. "Breaking it down into pieces makes the house more interesting and less massive," Young says.

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