Schematic Design Phase, Part III: Final Design Submitted to Zoning Board

After our meeting on the initial design studies at end of March 2017, the architects synthesized our feedback and further refined the chosen design. We had two followup meetings before finalizing the design a month later and submitted the plans to the Long Branch Zoning Board of Adjustment. There's still some work to be done on the schematics including refinement to the window locations, mechanical placement and kitchen layout but the design for all intents and purposes is now complete.

We couldn't be happier with our architects and our level of collaboration. Together we've streamlined the design while creating deceptively simple solutions to design challenges. Here are a few of the top changes from the initial design concept:

The spiral staircase was removed and a new exterior staircase was carved out of the eastern side of the house. The powder room is now neatly tucked under the stairs leading to the roof. The impact to the living room size is negligible, the removal of the spiral staircase improves the daylight into the dining and living area and usable deck space, and the triangular cutout from the stairs reduces the mass of the eastern elevation and creates some visual interest as you approach the house.
The kitchen was moved to the cantilevered portion of the upper level, eliminating the 3rd bedroom, and creating space for a dedicated dining area. The kitchen being at the top of the stairs makes hauling groceries a little easier. And the upper level now has a very open feel and allows for full height windows all along the south side of the floor.
The outdoor shower was relocated to the southeast corner of the house and stairs leading up to porch were also moved to the east. This facilitated a logical sequence of activities when go to and from the beach. Now when we come back from the beach, we skip the front entrance and enter the house via the alley, where we can shower and rinse off the sand, store beach chairs and coolers under the porch in a secured area, then go up the porch stairs, entering the house through the office and cleaning up in the guest bath. The door to office is now a bonafide back entrance and will be well used.
A transom was added to the guest bathroom allowing daylight to spill in from the windows in the entryway; now all of the functional spaces benefit from natural light.
A double height foyer was created by opening up the area directly above the entrance. This allows more airflow between levels and helps ushering guests up the stairs to the common area by drawing their attention up.
The cut-outs on the ground floor were removed, simplifying the building envelope. The footprint of the building with the porch is now a basic parallelogram following the shape of the lot. The cantilevered volume is squared to the western lot line so it angles off the northern facade enough to cast a shadow that visually lengthens the cantilevered volume.

All in all, the design maximizes the zoning footprint and the volume and shape of the structure responds nicely to the neighboring buildings and landscape. We're very pleased.