Merrel Journal

Discover the Amagansett House, a collaborative project by Merrell Soule Architects, Flatiron 27, and Cardel Development, featured in Luxe Magazine's July 2021 issue. This family home in Amagansett blends traditional and modern design elements, offering a warm and sophisticated retreat. Explore the architectural details and interior design that make this residence a harmonious sanctuary.

James Merrell interviews renowned critic Paul Goldberger on the evolution of modern residential design, discussing trends, aesthetics, and architectural identity.

James Merrell explores the role of all five senses in architectural experience, emphasizing how design should go beyond the visual to create immersive spaces.

​In his January 25, 2018, journal entry titled "Planning a Modern Villa," James Merrell emphasizes the importance of floor plans in architectural design, viewing them as narratives that guide occupants through spaces. He suggests that clients consider floor plans as the "plots" of three-dimensional novels, highlighting architecture's narrative nature. Merrell also compares well-designed plans to poetry, noting that both possess a mathematical elegance that invites repeated engagement and reveals new meanings over time. This perspective encourages clients to appreciate the abstract beauty of order and proportion in architectural layouts.

What do you see when you look at the photos here? A restoration? A new house? Or something completely different? And if you answer “something different,” ...

Our design philosophy starts with the recognition that architectural photos are not architecture, and that photography is, in fact, not especially well-suited to the task of communicating architectural experience.

In his January 27, 2017, journal entry titled "Moby Dick and Modern Architecture," James Merrell reflects on how reading Herman Melville's Moby Dick influenced his perspective on modern architecture. He draws comparisons between the novel's complexity and the architectural principles of Mies van der Rohe, noting that while Mies emphasizes minimalism and clarity, Moby Dick embraces ambiguity and risk-taking. Merrell suggests that just as Melville's work engages readers to derive personal interpretations, architecture should allow occupants to complete their experience of a space, advocating for designs that are captivating and open to individual engagement. ​

​In his November 25, 2016, journal entry titled "Discerning the Rational from the Modern in Architecture," James Merrell reflects on Paul Rudolph's 1953 Walker Guest House. He highlights how Rudolph's design prioritizes rationality over stylistic modernism, featuring innovative elements like operable exterior walls that function as adjustable shutters to manage ventilation and protection. Merrell emphasizes that while modern architecture often becomes associated with specific styles, true architectural excellence stems from rational design solutions tailored to functional needs.

​In his April 13, 2015, journal entry titled "A Laboratory for Architectural Design," James Merrell reflects on the dynamic relationship between modernity and history in architecture. He references Jorg H. Gleiter's perspective that each generation interprets the past through its contemporary lens, suggesting that history is actively shaped by present-day scrutiny rather than being a static record of past events. Merrell illustrates this concept by discussing iconic Hamptons houses from the 1960s and 1970s, emphasizing that their modernity stems from engaging with Modernist precedents using the materials and mindset of their own time. This approach underscores the idea that innovative design revitalizes historical facts, allowing architects to preserve history by reinterpreting it for today's context.

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In his October 8, 2014, journal entry titled "Stand with me in this meadow...," James Merrell reflects on the architectural journey of revitalizing an 1885 mansion situated on a 43-acre harborfront estate. Confronted with the dilemma of preserving a structure deemed unsalvageable yet rich in historical significance, Merrell challenges the conventional binary approach of either restoration or demolition. Instead, he advocates for an "archaeological" method, meticulously documenting the building's history and gradually deconstructing it over two years. This deliberate process allowed for the creation of a new residence that honors the site's heritage while embracing contemporary design, ultimately earning national recognition, including a Palladio Award.

​Merrell Soule Architects is a modern residential architecture firm based in Sag Harbor, New York, with a sister location in Dumbo, Brooklyn. Formerly known as James Merrell Architects, the firm is led by principal partner James Merrell and partners Stephen Soule and Janara Garcia Soule. Their portfolio includes projects such as the Pond House, Hamptons Potato Barn, Bridgehampton Beach House, Sagaponack Pool House, Sun Valley, North Sea, Amagansett Family, Southampton House, Bridgehampton House, and Amagansett Lanes

​In his July 31, 2014, journal entry titled "Whose House is it Anyway? Client or Architect?", James Merrell explores the nuanced relationship between clients and architects in residential design. He highlights the client's view of a home as a personal sanctuary, referencing sociologists Csikszentmihalyi and Rochberg-Halton's depiction of the home as a place where "ultimate goals can be cultivated, sheltered from the intrusions of public life." Merrell contrasts this with the architect's approach, which relies on architectural principles and language to translate the client's vision into tangible design. He draws an analogy between castles and temples: castles symbolize personal fantasies and unpredictability, while temples represent rationality and abstract ideals. Merrell emphasizes the importance of balancing these perspectives to create homes that embody both personal expression and architectural integrity, citing Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio's villas as exemplary models of this equilibrium.