Budget Breakdown: They Built a Net-Positive Home in the Hamptons for $3.2 Million

After dreaming of having a home in the Hamptons for years, one woman finally decided to make it a reality. “I have a couple of close friends who have places out east, and I’ve always enjoyed visiting them there,” says the homeowner, who spent three decades living in Japan before returning to New York during the early years of the pandemic. After an extensive search, she finally found the perfect spot in Amagansett. “I wanted to be close to my friends, and also be in a place where I could avoid having to be in my car all the time,” she says.

Recently divorced, she wanted to create a place that expressed her personality. “I found myself living by myself for the first time in my life,” she explains. “I wanted to build a house that would be an escape from city life, as well as a place I could share with my friends and children.”

After reaching out to architect Robert Schultz, an old friend from college who now leads New York firm Khanna Schultz with Vrinda Khanna, the homeowner set out to design her ideal weekend home. “From the beginning, she had the desire to make the house as energy-efficient and sustainable as possible,” says Schultz.