In the early years of the 20th century, Chicago architect Louis Sullivan popularized the phrase ‘form ever follows function’ to capture his belief that a building’s size, massing, spatial grammar and other characteristics should be driven solely by the function of the building. The implication is that if the functional aspects are satisfied, architectural beauty would naturally and necessarily follow.1
We believe that great design should be functional, but sometimes beauty and aesthetics of a home design need to be carefully specified and may not follow naturally as Sullivan stated above. For instance, our Cape Cod style home for 40’ lots that we designed for homeowners rebuilding after Superstorm Sandy was designed for a specific function: To fit on a lot with 40’ frontage within a specific budget. However, in designing the home with our architect, we realized there would be additional functionality for other lots sizes as well and we were able to offer options for the same design with more square footage and more functional areas for families whose needs require more space. In addition, these design changes affect the overall exterior façade, which changes the look of the home, also known as curb appeal.
Every family is different with varying needs, so the function of a home design could be different depending on how the family lives and what their lifestyle entails. The original design of this home includes a master bedroom on the first floor. This is great and functions well for families with older children; however, there is another version of the home available with all the bedrooms on the second floor, which may function better for those with younger children where the parents would prefer to sleep on the same level as their children. As with all of the homes that we design and build, meeting with the homeowners to discuss the design and function of all areas of their home so that we can provide a modified design that works for a particular family.
We’ve been modifying home plans for functionality and our homeowner’s preferences for many years, and many homes. With one home of this design already built, completed and occupied, the new designs we are offering include four bedrooms, 2 full baths, an open space plan for the living areas, beautiful front and rear porches with exquisite architectural elements on the exterior make this home one of our favorite and most functional Jersey Shore homes to date. If you are a homeowner looking to rebuild a home on a 40’ lot in Brant Beach, Beach Haven, Stafford Township or another location in Southern Ocean County, be sure to contact Stonehenge Builtto schedule an appointment to view our designs and plan your rebuild today.
1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Functionalism_(architecture)