For the Shinnecock Indian Nation, an indigenous tribe with territory in and around Southampton, New York, we designed a resort and conference center on 20 acres of sovereign land on Long Island’s Peconic Bay.

In close collaboration with the tribe, our design team worked to create a 13-building complex that complements the land’s natural beauty while leaving as much as possible in a natural state. Given the Shinnecock Nation’s ancient and enduring connection with that place, we were especially mindful of creating spaces that had a low impact on the surrounding landscape, and a high ratio of usability to square footage. We grouped the buildings—including a convention hall, recreation space, wellness center, longhouse, hotel and residences—close together to preserve open space, and made sure that every building we designed enhanced the landscape. The resulting Resort at Westwoods will be a source of cultural pride as well as steady income for the Shinnecock Nation. The design is an expression of the tribe’s renowned hospitality: a modern manifestation of the Shinnecock Powwow.

At the heart of the project are four hotel buildings with a design inspired by wigwam framing. Each building features great views, terraced gardens, and a trail system that works with the topography of the site to provide access to the shore. The 200-room resort contains two restaurants, 8,000-sf of retail space, a 22,000-sf wellness center with indoor and outdoor pools, and six, 1,000-sf private
woodland bungalows.

Our goal was to create a contemporary architectural language for the tribe borne of ancient principles: respect for the land, making the most of limited resources, and working in harmony with others. Each building of the development was derived from ancient references, including sharply angled roof lines inspired by breaching whales and sunken architecture alluding to floating canoes.