diagnosed much about this enigmatic architect. But during our time together, he reveals a few of his passions. Mainly, meeting the unique needs of his clients and his urge to create art—even if the latter is not quite part of his profession’s reality. And although I’m not sure how much of that Gerard Beekman—the self-proclaimed “archigeek” who simply “wants to make beautiful things”—he is willing to share with Quest for a story like this, surely the artist I can sense must come out when he sketches, designs living spaces, and crafts spectacular homes that appear to transcend any specific architectural style. We have arranged to meet at Gramatan’s Madison Avenue offices, a location strategically chosen for its proximity to many of the firm’s Upper East Side projects. They moved in a couple months ago and seem to be settling in nicely. Beekman begins by talking about a project Gramatan designed that flanks Palm Beach’s Everglades Golf Course, an 8,000-square-foot home on a street where Marion Syms Wyeth designed 10 of the 14 neighboring historic properties. Right now, the space is a plot of empty land. “It’s a blank slate,” he says, showing me an aerial photograph of the site, “but the context isn’t.” Beekman maintains that in a place like Palm Beach—and New York, too—certain legislations still steer home aesthetics. It’s not a bad thing. “We spend a lot of time figuring out how to mesh
This spread: A Jamaican-inspired residence on the North End of Palm Beach; Gerard J. Beekman (above); an open kitchen in a Palm Beach waterfront home (below).
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