After making the decision to purchase the land, we immediately went to work with Ryall Sheridan Architects to complete the schematic designs required for our zoning board development plan application. Because of potential complications and changes from the board, we decided to initially limit the work to only what was required by the Zoning Board, namely the site plan, massing, elevations and floor plans for the building, until we formally received approval for the bulk variance relief.

Site Visit

The first step was a site visit with the architects which we conducted on March 16, 2017. There's a noticeable difference between seeing the property survey on paper and walking the site even for a simple property like ours.  Seeing the surrounding area in google maps on a screen cannot convey the true feeling of the neighborhood and the sensations you experience the moment you approach the property, walk the site and take in the views.  There is an immeasurable quality of information that is gathered when all five senses are employed that helps interpret the data and inspires the design.

Neighboring Homes 

When designing a house, you need to first look at the volume and size of the space as well as its general shape and form. The house should optimize the zoning footprint and relate to the surround landscape and hardscapes including the style, scale and orientation of neighboring buildings. All these factors, influence the design of the house and have a direct impact on how you interact with the architecture and the quality of space within.

Our project is located in a well established and densely populated one-to-four family/townhouse zone. Unlike other municipalities, the City of Long Branch does not regulate the exterior finish and style of the house; in fact, there's quite a bit of variation building to building. We've got everything from beach cottages and traditional homes to garden apartments and '80s and early 2000 modern townhouses on a single block.

Surrounding Neighbors with a Mix of Styles and Scale

Just a few minutes' walk east to the beach we continue to see a trend towards modernist designs in Long Branch with a mix of older, newly-built and soon to be constructed beachfront single family homes. Additionally, there's a boom in beachfront construction that's transforming the area with large scale glass, steel and concrete developments such as the 47-unit South Beach luxury residential towers and The Lofts Pier Village, a development complex consisting of 245 residential condominiums, a 75-room boutique hotel and 50,000 sqft of additional retail and restaurant space.