Brian Mann — Architect
“No project is the same, no site is the same, no clienthas the same requirementsor demeanor and they arealways excited to embark ontheir dream – so the excitementis invigorating.”
Geography and history also influence each home design,Mann said, which in the Northeast often includes heavyEuropean influences. “This history often underpinsour clients’ vision and expectations as well as those ofplanning and development authorities. And there are, ofcourse, environmental factors that affect sustainabilityand durability and accordingly site selection, orientation,material, and system selection.
But Mann said that rather than be hampered or confinedby history or traditional context, his firm works to gobeyond those constraints for a more modern aesthetic.This was certainly the case for a beachfront homeOMNIA designed recently in Long Island, New Jersey.The clients had spent many summers at the New Jerseyshore and were in a position to create a special legacyfor themselves and future generations, Mann said. Theproperty occupies a relatively high point, with long oceanfrontage and a good degree of privacy, ideal for familygatherings and casual entertaining.
While the site was stunning, it was susceptible tohurricane-force winds and powerful storm surges. Mannand his team designed the 8,000-square-foot house withreinforced concrete and massive steel frames for the piers,walls, floors, and roof.
The structure was designed in an “H” form, with concrete,wood and tempered glass forming multiple bays. The firstfloor includes dramatic design touches like a sculpturalstair of stainless steel and white oak. Also on the first floorare a service kitchen, bar, and six guest suites that flankthe gallery, along with 18-foot sliding glass doors open tosundecks, pool, and path to the ocean.
On the top floor, the expansive and private owner’s suiteoffers stunning views, with a balcony, dressing room, andocean-view tub. Also on the second floor are dining room,balcony, and upper deck, along with a sleek kitchen,which features a 14-foot marble and steel island. Thekitchen opens to the great room, which offers expansiveocean views and wraparound window seating.
“I cannot help believing that there are fundamentalsunderlying great living spaces that are rooted in thefew hundred thousand years humans and our nearestancestors spent living enmeshed in nature,” Mann said.“Beauty in architecture too, I think, has some absolutecharacter, albeit mysterious and not a simple surfaceeffect but rather more internal and emotional like music.”
— Excerpt from New View: A Curated Visual Gallery: Twenty Magnificent Homes by Northeast Architects
Photography by Matt Wargo
Photography by Matt Wargo
Photography by Matt Wargo