Background Information

Mr. and Mrs. C live in Matawan, NJ. In the summertime they enjoy spending time at their beach house in Manasquan, NJ, about a half-hour away. The Cs enjoy entertaining at their beach house and often have friends spend the day or even a few days. The house has a front porch, living room, kitchen, dining room, two guest bedrooms, a bedroom which their two daughters share, a master bedroom, and a bathroom.

The house is located on First Avenue, between Brielle Road (to the north) and Pompano Avenue (to the south). Off-street parking for the beach house is off Timber Lane, which runs north and south behind the house. Across the street on the other side of First Avenue are two rows of houses. Past the two rows of houses is the beach.

The house was built in the early 1920’s and has remained nearly the same since its construction. One part of the house, however, is an addition to the original house. The only bathroom in the house originally did not exist and was constructed outside on the back porch of the house. Following the construction of the bathroom a larger addition was put on the back of the house consisting of a storage room, an informal dining room and a bedroom. The original roof in the back of the house is visible inside the addition. The house has no heating or air conditioning, nor is it insulated. In the kitchen is a gas stove/oven that dates back to the 1940s.

Mr. and Mrs. C would like to live in Manasquan year round following their retirement, yet the ir one story frame dwelling would be uninhabitable year round. They would like to start over by demolishing their current beach house and building a new one that would be much more suitable for full-time living. As they start over, there are certain things they would like to see in their new house to fit their lives. This includes a master suite, open space to set up sewing and quilting equipment, a decent sized kitchen suitable for a good amount of cooking, a living room suitable for entertaining, guest bedrooms, and several outdoor areas.

The C’s new beach house is where they will spend most of their retirement, so it has to be perfect. Everything about the house will be designed to meet their wants and needs. They are in complete control of what their house will be like so they can enjoy each and every day of their retirement and continue to entertain all their friends. It is the duty of the architect to give them the best retirement home possible.

Click here for the lot survey.