America’s Top Architects: An Island Home by New York’s Desai Chia Architecture |
Firm Name: Desai Chia Architecture
Principals: Katherine Chia, Arjun Desai
Headquarters: New York, NY
Accolades: Forbes Architecture’s “America’s Top 200 Residential Architects,” 2025; Forbes Architecture’s “America’s Best-in-State Residential Architects,” 2025
House Name: Osprey House
Location: Shelter Island, New York
Site Specifics: Just under an acre of waterfront property bordering a nature preserve
Area & Layout: 3,400 square feet, 4 BR, 4 BA
Architectural Photographer: Paul Warchol (warcholphotography.com), Jake Balston (jakebalston.com)
s it a house or is it an observatory? The distinctions tend to blur when you’re talking about homes designed by Desai Chia Architecture. Blessed with walls of glass and broad, outstretched roofs, they offer sanctuary from the elements while wrapping their residents in nature. That’s certainly true of this residence in Shelter Island, New York. Dubbed Osprey House for its avian neighbors—and the way it mimics their elevated........