5722 Clay Point: Thomas Phifer's Masterpiece on Fishers Island
There are properties that sell a lifestyle, and then there are properties that redefine what a home can be. 5722 Clay Point Road on Fishers Island belongs firmly in the latter category - a residence so singular in its design and setting that photographing it felt less like a real estate assignment and more like documenting a work of art.
The Architect: Thomas Phifer
The home was designed by Thomas Phifer, one of the most respected architects working in American modernism today. Phifer’s portfolio includes the North Carolina Museum of Art and the United States Courthouse in Salt Lake City. His approach at Clay Point is pure minimalism - a single-story, 180-foot-long rectangular glass pavilion, just 28 feet wide, that stretches across the southern shore of Fishers Island like a lens focused on the Long Island Sound.
The structure is deceptively simple. Floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors dissolve the boundary between interior and landscape. White gallery walls serve as a backdrop for curated art. Black carbonized bamboo flooring anchors the space with warmth and texture. A dramatic roof overhang creates a wraparound covered patio that extends the living space outdoors while shielding the interior from direct sunlight.
The Property
Set on 3.15 acres of direct waterfront, the estate commands unobstructed 180-degree views of Fishers Island Sound. The numbers tell part of the story - 4,744 square feet, one bedroom, two and a half baths - but they don’t begin to convey the experience of being inside this home.
The interior is a study in light and transparency. Six skylights punctuate the roofline. Interior walls deliberately stop short of the exterior glass, ensuring that views are never interrupted. The result is a home where every moment is defined by the changing quality of light over the water - from the soft gray of a foggy morning to the blazing orange of a summer sunset.
At two points in the rectangular floor plan, the outdoors penetrates inward. The entryway opens to a shallow reflecting pool that extends out to the terrace and visually disappears into the Sound beyond. At the opposite end, a tranquil moss and rock garden creates a meditative counterpoint to the expansive water views.
The Gardens
The landscape at Clay Point is as meticulously composed as the architecture. Designed by Morgan Wheelock and enhanced by Thomas Armstrong, the gardens unfold with what can only be described as lyrical theatricality - 25 different scenes along an undulating path that moves through groves, meadows, and rocky shoreline.
The plantings include vibrant Japanese irises, 150,000 daffodils, peonies, and daylilies that shift the color palette with the seasons. A stand of tall trees provides privacy along the property’s boundaries while maintaining the open, airy quality that defines the home’s relationship with the coast.
Our Photography
A property of this caliber demands a comprehensive visual approach. We deployed our full range of services for this commission:
Aerial drone photography captured the estate’s relationship with the coastline - revealing the full 180-foot span of the glass pavilion against three acres of manicured grounds and rocky shoreline. From above, you can see how Phifer positioned the home to maximize its connection to the water while the surrounding landscape provides a natural buffer of privacy.
Interior photography focused on capturing the interplay of light, material, and space that makes this home extraordinary. The challenge - and the reward - was conveying the transparency and openness of the design. With glass walls on both sides of a 28-foot-wide structure, every composition required careful attention to reflections, light balance, and the relationship between interior spaces and the landscape beyond.
Video Walkthrough
Experience the home in motion - our cinematic video walkthrough captures the light, flow, and atmosphere of this extraordinary property in a way that still photography alone cannot.
3D Matterport Tour
Step inside and explore every room at your own pace with our immersive 3D virtual tour. Click and drag to look around, use the floor plan to navigate between spaces.
Fishers Island
For those unfamiliar, Fishers Island is a small, private island at the eastern end of Long Island Sound. Technically part of the Town of Southold in Suffolk County, New York, it’s accessible only by private ferry from New London, Connecticut. There are no bridges, no commercial development, and no crowds - just a close-knit community of families who have been drawn to its unspoiled beauty for generations.
It’s the kind of place where properties are passed down rather than listed, and when something does come to market, it tends to attract serious attention. 5722 Clay Point is no exception.
Gallery
5722 Clay Point Road is listed at $5,200,000 by William Raveis New York LLC. Photography, aerial drone, video walkthrough, and 3D Matterport tour by Carlos and Team at Marcott Studios.