Ernest Schieferstein Architecture

Ernest Schieferstein has provided architectural and design services in the Hamptons for over four decades. In addition to his professional work, he serves as Deputy Chairperson on the North Haven Village Planning Board, lending his professional expertise to his Hamptons community. 

Today Ernest lives with his wife Diane Sjoholm, Landscape Designer, in North Haven, with whom he collaborates on many projects. In his spare time, he creates sculptural work that has been exhibited with arts groups and institutions across the East End.

Ernest started his professional training at State University of New York, where he earned a Degree of Associate in Applied Science in Construction Technology. During his studies there, he received the Long Island Chapter Student Award from the American Institute of Architects and was a member of Phi Theta Kappa. He received a Bachelor of Architecture Degree from Syracuse University in 1976 after participating in a fifth-year exchange program at University College, London, England. 

In 1977 he joined Eugene Futterman’s Sag Harbor firm of E. L. Futterman Architects with whom he worked in collaboration on many residential and commercial projects on Eastern Long Island and New York City.

In 1982 he received his New York State Architectural Licence, [ # 15508 ] and opened his own practice in North Haven designing private custom homes as well as having a strong background in high-end speculative development. Although specializing in custom modern designs and historic renovations, he invites all design challenges and visions. 

Since starting his practice over thirty years ago, he’s been able to cultivate long, sometimes generational, relationships with his clients. The longevity, dedication, and depth of this work highlights the hallmark of his process; listen to what’s important about living life in a space and a community, and bring together design and craft to make them work in harmony.

Services

Pre-Design
Programming
Concept design
Budget Recommendations
Cost Estimation
Feasibility Studies
Site Selection Consultation

Architectural Design
Schematic layouts
Design development
3D Models
Color Boards and Renderings
Commercial Architecture

Construction Documents
Building Information Modeling
Town Filing Drawings
Construction Detailing
Specifications

Construction Administration
Bidding Coordination
Contract Negotiations
Construction Review
Project Sign Offs

Interior Design
Concept development
Furniture specification
Custom and Built-In Furnishing
Signage & way-finding
Procurement assistance
Installation coordination
Kitchen & Bath
Electrical Plans
Window Treatments
Staging

Grounds & Landscape Architecture
Hardscapes Outdoor Rooms & Patios
Planting
Garden Installation & Maintenance
Fencing & Privacy
Clearing & Restoration
Waterfront Space Design
Residential Garden Design

Green Home Solutions
Solar Energy
Rain Water Harvesting
Wall Systems
Geothermal System Integration

Ongoing Services
Home maintenance
Additions
Interior Design

Architecture on the East End

When I first came out to the Hamptons in the mid-seventies, there were only about a dozen architects, many of us oscillating between the modern and traditional design styles so evident in every hamlet. This blend of design ideology found in the modern, structured city and the traditional, naturalistic Hamptons permeates the visual style of homes on the East End. We were some of the first architects to move out of the city to the rural neighborhoods, taking with us a desire for playful aesthetic beyond the efficiency of function in design. Our clients echo this desire and are singular in this respect, that here resides their second home, the dwelling for dreaming and relaxing. This is a place of play and beauty.

The geographical landscape of this part of Long Island lends itself to daydreaming. The fairytale nature of the woods, sunsets on the bays, sound, and ocean, and manicured farmlands all beckon to slow down and enjoy life. Ask any artist, designer, or resident what makes this place so special and nearly everyone replies the same element, “the light.” This is the dream of the city folk: to escape the concrete, suffocated streets and bask in the beautiful, natural light of the land. You’ll find that the best homes and commercial spaces built here capture that light inside and out.

This drive to harmonize with nature poses specific challenges in design and construction in the Hamptons. In order to maintain its natural beauty, each Hampton town and village has developed aggressively protective codes. One can’t just be a master-designer to create a work of art out east. We also need to be zoning savants to get the work done right and with as few delays as possible. I take great pride in doing my part to preserve the natural beauty of this place and harmonize it with the client’s vision. This has driven me to study the evolving zoning and permitting laws so closely that I serve as a chairperson of the Planning Board of my community. I also want to protect the natural landscape of my neighborhood while welcoming new neighbors. 

As one has to cross a canal in order to reach the Hamptons. It makes sense that physically and metaphorically, the true architecture of the Hamptons is building bridges. We bridge between structured forms and wild nature, between freeflow designs and limiting law. We build connections between artisans, contractors, materials, and plans to create cohesive, beautiful buildings. The most important bridge I build is the bond I make with my clients, to create and execute their vision and help it grow as they do. Our work connects us to this beautiful life on the East End, leading us to a place of repose from wherever busy place we leave behind.

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Privacy Statement

Because I treat my clients' privacy with the utmost respect, I can't tell you who they are or what I've done for them; I can't show certain client projects. For many of my clients’ their Hamptons home is a second home, a retreat away from their public life, whether in the city or beyond. Their refuge is not my by-line to disclose. Needless to say, I'll treat you and your project with the same level of integrity.

Given the type of clientele my architectural services attract, the scope of my usual projects and the quality of my work, you should know that it’s important for me that we’re a good fit. We offer an exclusive, boutique-style service applying decades of mastery in architecture, and the fees for this level of service reflects this. My project budgets typically start at around seventy-five thousand dollars for certain types of small additions and renovations in order to create the quality, durability and aesthetic result that I achieve with consistency.