Mid-century modern architecture is updated for a contemporary Japanese lifestyle in this restoration and renovation of the historic William Landsberg home. The 1951 house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Landsberg, who studied at Harvard University with Marcel Breuer and later worked for him before establishing his own architecture practice, gained regional fame for his Bauhaus-inspired designs. He built the Port Washington house for himself and his family.

The new owners and SMA entered the design process with respect and admiration for the house's modernist style and hillside setting. At the same time, they wanted to update it and make it comfortable for a young family used to living in a Japanese home. The "floating" rectangular-box structure and simple lines of the house were aesthetically suited to the clients' design sensibilities and wish list, which included a teppanyaki-cooking island in a kitchen that opened to the living room; a narrow engawa-like deck along the back of the house; a primary bathroom with a deep ofuro-type soaking tub; a tatami guest room; and a patio big enough to play ping pong. SMA worked closely with Henrybuilt to create a contemporary kitchen that gives a nod to its mid-century roots, with papaya-colored laminates, walnut paneling, and custom pulls.