This waterfront property unfolds in a sequence of views, both revealed and concealed, a kind of Kabuki shadow play that starts at the driveway and snakes down the entire length of the five-acre lot. "It adds to the experience of arrival," says the bachelor client who wanted a peaceful escape. The property lies in an area of modest fishing cottages and salt-water inlets that remains remarkably unspoiled for the Hamptons. "I never built a house from scratch before," admits the client. "In some ways it's very liberating to be master of your own destiny." A narrow wooden boardwalk leads from the parking area up to and under the house, continues through a thicket of brambles and ends at the beach. All plant materials used in the project were native species and have been orchestrated for maximum effect. Sand has been sculpted into wind-blown mounds.