Architect Mark Asher likes nice things. So does his frequent partner in construction, builder Michael Donahue. Nice, as in fine, high-quality materials; and nice, as in simple, tasteful design. As basic as that sounds, Asher says such thinking is not always applied when it comes to constructing new homes along the Jersey Shore. “It’s not that people want to build an ugly house; they just aren’t necessarily offered the product.” But quality, simplicity, and tasteful design are exactly what Asher and Donahue set out to deliver.
Asher, who has offices in Stone Harbor, does frequent work along the Southern Jersey coast. It was this completed work that attracted the attention of a Westchester County, New York, couple who contacted him to design their summer residence in Brigantine. “When we started to work with them, they were receptive to our thoughts,” Asher says. “It was a match made in heaven.” Thus began one of the first architectural forays in Brigantine in recent years.
Long in the shadow of its flashy neighbor, Atlantic City, and without the bars and boardwalks to draw a weekend crowd, Brigantine is a sleepy Shore town that has seen little new development. Most houses have been there for a good long time, and many actually look it. In fact, the house that previously sat on this beachfront property was run-down and long-neglected. “They never even went in it,” says Asher, referring to the new owners. “They bought it for the location.”
Asher set about designing a family home—the couple has twin 10-year-old boys—that would take advantage of the ocean views but respect the quiet, restrained community. “Brigantine is just not a showy town,” says Asher. “We wanted people to notice the house, but also we wanted it to fade into the background.”
The design is a classic upside-down layout to take best advantage of the ocean views: hang-out rooms are on the second floor, including the kitchen, the great room, and the twins’ bedroom. The master suite and adjacent office are on the third. Guest rooms and a TV room are on the first floor, along with a large laundry room easily accessible when returning from the beach. Expansive outdoor living spaces include wraparound porches on the second and third floors.
Once the design was agreed upon, Asher recommended Donahue, an Avalon-based builder. Donahue suggested natural, low-maintenance materials wherever possible. “We really wanted this to be fairly maintenance free,” he says. The siding and the roof are natural cedar; the porches are constructed of Ipe—a Brazilian hardwood that grays naturally over time. “It’s fire resistant, termite resistant. You just let it go and it turns gray,” Donahue says.
Even the landscaping is simple, adds Donahue. All in all, says Donahue, “the building department was very happy to see this house come in. It’s very appropriate for the coast and for this town.”
“You don’t need Corinthian columns and turrets and Palladian windows to make a statement,” says Asher. “We wanted the home to be simple. It’s good materials and it’s a sophisticated design, but our message is that it can be simple. A house doesn’t have to be a Disneyland ride.”