Architect Spotlight: Al Giaquinto

Al Giaquinto is the president of Plum Builders, Inc., custom home builders and creators of The Modern Barn®. He is a Graduate Master Builder, Certified Graduate Remodeler, and Certified Green Builder with over three decades experience in custom home design-build.

At 16, Al was drawing models of homes. His father was a builder and contractor, and Al went on to graduate from Brooklyn Tech with a major in architecture. While his advanced degree is in accounting and finance, Al always knew he wanted to build homes.

Today, he’s president and CEO of Plum Builders, Inc., a design-build firm in East Hampton that he began with his wife of decades, Mary. Together, the Giaquinto’s built a company on the principles of integrity and quality that were instilled in them early on in their careers.

Below, Al shares his philosophy of design and a favorite, signature feature of The Modern Barn.

Philosophy of Design

The primary purpose of architecture and design is to enhance the in-the-moment experience of day to day life. Conscious design development elevates the everyday experience of the space we pass through every day. Architecture at its most fundamental level is about texture, light, color, space, and material.

The residential experience is what I’m most familiar with. It’s about how a family or an individual experiences his or her own space.

Passion

My passion is to create space that makes people feel good; a space that brings a sense of wonder and personal power of expression to their lives. It’s about the belief that things can come together – that meaning can happen in this space.

My personal favorite is The Modern Barn® room because it’s the essence of The Modern Barn style architecture. It combines space, light, materials, color, texture – and most importantly – glass, to bring the outside in and the inside out providing an organic sense of tranquility.

Luxury, quality, enduring style, and comfort are my touchstones and those of our clients. The constant search to discover products that achieve the highest echelons of these attributes at a practical cost is a large part of the work of Plum Builders.

Communal Spaces

Working class families, like the one I came from, lived in small rooms that were set apart for one activity, like sleeping or preparing and consuming food. The one room that was a large and open space was the lower level or the basement. As a child, we celebrated all the holidays in the one large open space of the basement.

But in Italy, especially when the weather cooperates, the residential outside garden or the commercial interior courtyard of a local restaurant substitutes for the communal space. It’s where people come together to share the celebrations of life or the passages of life.

Those communal rites have more importance in life today because they’re fewer in number as families have dispersed.

 

At Plum, we study how people live – how spaces flow, the re-arrangement of space, etc. – based on modern lifestyles and lifestyle activities.

What is going on in the Modern Mind?

Glossy – the modern design aesthetic recognizes the power of shine and gloss. Silver tones are the most prominent. I think it represents a kind of purity – truth, clarity, cleanliness – and youthfulness.

There is also a certain confidence in stone and metal. Smooth stone rather than rustic stone are the choices of the modern mind. Steel especially stainless steel because of its enduring quality, stability, shininess and low maintenance.

Color has great power. First, we start with white, but it needs to be high gloss. Then, grey; grey represents a feeling of solidity, endurance, and dependability. Very close to grey in importance is blue, from very pale shades of blue to deep navies (not black).

On The Modern Barn® Design

Plum Builders Inc. Unmatched Value

We have a business model that sets us apart from other builders and an exceptional build-design process. It’s proprietary and unique to our business. We’ve figured out how to build custom homes with incredible value by being intentional about how we communicate, organize, and plan. Because of the way we work at Plum Builders, efficiently and effectively in house, we are very competitive in this area.

Signature Feature: The Barn Doors

Our clients love the barn doors because they represent a solid interpretation of building materials. They’re oversized, two to three inches thick, and are usually hung on stainless steel tracks so they move smoothly.

In The Modern Barn®, bedroom and bathroom doors are smooth slabs with one fine detail such as a line positioned at a strategic location on the piece of wood.

I like moldings with fine lines. Lines identify space. There is well-being in defining space. I like base molding because it’s functional.

Read more about the team at The Modern Barn or view our portfolio of featured homes.

Learn About The History Of Modern Barn Homes Of East Hampton and Beyond.

Barns have been part of East Hampton Landscape for hundreds of years. The earliest purposes were primarily utilitarian and used to store hay, grain, and wagons. The Mulford Farm barn, built in 1725, is the oldest in East Hampton. The Modern Barn homes of today are reminiscent of the grand barn structures special to the East End, and also reflect the experiences of Plum Builders Inc. founders Al and Mary Giaquinto. The result is a unique, trademarked custom home design that is remarkable in its simplicity and natural beauty.

Roots and Origin of The Modern Barn® Homes

The earliest concept of The Modern Barn began with a specific room. In 2006, Al Giaquinto worked on an East Hampton custom home design project with architect David Sherwood. While the home was a traditional design, the great room was known as The Modern Barn® room because of its openness and layout. Walls that typically separate living, dining and kitchen spaces were removed to create one, large, communal space. This was where The Modern Barn custom design began.

 

The great room at Jericho was really the first time that we tried to incorporate all three living functions (kitchen, dining, and living) into one large space, and it became the centerpiece of The Modern Barn, said Sherwood.

From Separate, Small Spaces to Large, Open Rooms

In hindsight, The Modern Barn’s origin and inspiration go back earlier than that first incarnation. In some ways, the open, spacious design is in direct contrast to the closed, boxy layout of the architecture that Al and Mary Giaquinto remember from the 60s, 70s, and 80s.

The homes in the New York neighborhoods of Queens and Brooklyn were typically separated into several small spaces. Large homes were quartered; creating multi-family dwellings. But they were small and had limited space to grow and come together.

It was Mary Giaquinto who recognized the limitations to freedom and creativity that all of those walls imposed on families. She believes that the physical walls affect people’s perceptions of what’s possible, and that space has a profound impact on people. Thus the need for openness and space in today’s family homes.

 

The shapes of the rooms we live in growing up definitely shape our vision of the world.

– Mary Giaquinto

The Giaquintos took certain designs aspects of those original homes and wove them into the concept for The Modern Barn®. For example, homes in the Fort Greene neighborhood where Al Giaquinto attended high school at Brooklyn Tech had large windows in the front that let in swathes of natural light. This was one of the many design experiences that helped shape The Modern Barn.

New York architecture – both city dwellings and the rustic barns of the East End – certainly influenced The Modern Barn, but the inspiration is not entirely local. Al Giaquinto also took inspiration from homes in the Caribbean and South Pacific, where homes are open to the outdoors.

The Barn room in The Modern Barn reflects on the Great Hall of the Medieval Times, and other large, communal gathering spaces within homes through history – albeit with a much more contemporary look and feel.

The First Modern Barns

The Modern Barn of today was born of the inspiration and the experiences of Al and Mary Giaquinto as well as the design/build process of the first Modern Barn.

The Modern Barn room at the house on Jericho was incredibly successful and popular. It was desirable to such a degree that the Giaquintos knew they were onto something with the concept of the large open spaces in a rustic barn setting.

They built several homes in The Hamptons based on this design, working with architect Alexander Gorlin. The house was the right combination of traditional and modern materials and contemporary and rustic design. They embraced the fact that in The Hamptons, people were desiring to go back to a traditional barn structure. The first home sold very quickly and the rest followed suit.

The Modern Barn homes were built around common design elements: gorgeous, expansive kitchens, awe-inspiring entries, exposed beams, and remarkable, large barn doors.

On the outside, the homes are a mixture of modern and traditional and reminiscent of historic architecture. On the inside, modern amenities and high-end luxury meet the needs of families looking for idyllic second homes and family destinations.

A Place for Family

The Modern Barn homes are designed for families. The big, communal spaces inspire people to think up ways to bring their extended families closer – something that is common in The Hamptons. “When people walk into the barn room, they smile unconsciously, and they say ‘Wow, imagine what we can do in here. We can have everybody here for the holidays,'” said Al Giaquinto.

In The Modern Barn homes, the walls of separation that tend to section off families and make homes feel closed and small are removed. As a result, natural light, space, and scale blend together to create environments that are open, peaceful, and inviting.

The Modern Barns meet the need to have large, open, communal spaces that bring families and friends together in natural settings. The homes are designed in such a way as to foster and nurture communication and togetherness. Each space in the home is intentionally and carefully designed to be functional, while at the same time, luxurious and contemporary. Both interior and exterior spaces cater to the needs of the individual and family.

Kitchens, dining rooms, and living rooms come together as one in The Modern Barns. That open, boundary-less design in the communal spaces is what draws families to these homes. You can view featured homes our portfolio.

Contemporary Trends And Modern Farmhomes

Modern architecture is embracing the rustic barn structure and style again. Trends are moving in the direction of a modern farmhouse, and it continues to gain popularity year after year.

Light and space are desirable features – which is why lofts became so popular over time in lower Manhattan. When they can, people will choose to have a large, open space with lots of natural light and few interior walls.

Walls and boxy homes tend to instill a perception that there are limitations in life. On an individual level, removing the walls gives people a sense of freedom. For the family, the open space inspires images of future family gatherings and an opportunity to connect.

The Modern Barns balance the need for personal space by creating intimate, thoughtful bedroom suites. And throughout all of the homes, high-end appliances, features, and modern amenities abound. The result is a luxury, custom designed home that meets the needs and wants of every member of the family.