Regional Modern: Metro New York Homes Showcase Clean Lines

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Regional Modern: Metro New York

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Editor's Note: The Regional Modern series focuses on the regional differences in modern and contemporary architecture, countering the impression that "modern" means universal and placeless. In photo tours from Manhattan to Malibu, see how today's innovative homes are influenced by climate, environment, and culture, becoming both private oases and part of a larger landscape we all share.

My last post on regional modern architecture presented urban interiors in New York City, mainly lofts. Architects practicing in and around Manhattan will gladly work on these and other small-scale interior commissions, since ground-up building in the city is so expensive and is relatively rare compared to renovations inside old buildings.

So to see freestanding houses by area architects one needs to look outside the five boroughs to the larger metropolitan area. The five boroughs number just over eight million people, but the larger urban area -- encompassing Long Island and parts of New Jersey, Connecticut, and even Pennsylvania -- accounts for more than double that number -- a lot of potential clients.

These houses present the New York region and its architects as fairly progressive yet deeply rooted in modernism. Depending on a house's location, exterior materials may let the house blend into its surroundings or standout, reflecting the intentions of the architect and the desires of the client.

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