Houses: Robert A.M. Stern Architects

For more than fifty years, Robert A.M. Stern Architects has designed extraordinary houses and residences around the world, each suffused with a rich understanding of traditional architecture and an intuitive sense of how to shape a home to the needs of modern life. Many of the firm’s important early commissions were houses, and while RAMSA has since evolved into an internationally renowned firm with an extraordinarily broad portfolio, an unflagging dedication to timeless residential design has remained a cornerstone of the practice.

In their new book Houses: Robert A.M. Stern Architects, RAMSA’s residential Partners—Roger H. Seifter, Randy M. Correll, Grant F. Marani, and Gary L. Brewer—offer an intimate look at RAMSA houses from the last ten years and explore how these residences embody the spirit of place and find harmony between the traditional and the contemporary. A 424-page visual feast of rich, full-color photographs and elegant drawings, the book presents a selection of 17 homes that showcase RAMSA’s mastery of diverse styles and highlight the firm’s collaboration with leading interior designers, landscape architects, craftspeople, and builders from around the world.

In each project, context is paramount, and every design is deeply informed by the natural and built environment and by the needs and aspirations of the clients. Beyond considerations of distinctive style and character, RAMSA architects pair forward-thinking design with exceptional architectural scholarship, speaking articulately in a variety of architectural vocabularies, with a deep understanding of proper proportion and scale, meticulous attention to detail, and a discriminating focus on workmanship and artistry.

Featured are a rambling oceanside retreat in East Hampton; a mountain penthouse in the Rocky Mountains; a lakeside cottage in the Midwest; an urbane Park Avenue apartment; an elegant Mediterranean Revival villa in Fort Lauderdale; and a house in Singapore in that city’s distinctive “Black-and-White” style. Together, the homes epitomize the quality, craftsmanship, and undeniable presence that define every RAMSA residence. With every page, readers will gain a deeper understanding of how RAMSA’s architects honor context and time-honored design principles while always looking to the future, infusing established tradition with fresh life and anticipating how each home will grow, change, and evolve over the years.