The Long Branch Passive House, a modern 1,472 sq ft beach house completed in the Fall of 2020, was designed by New York City based firm Ryall Sheridan Architects in close collaboration with the owner, Joseph Hom, an engineer and designer.
Only a few minutes’ walk to the beach and nearby main street, the black-stained cedar-clad Passive House was inserted onto a tiny 50 x 57 sq ft vacant lot in a mature mixed single-family and multi-family residential community. The urban density and compact lot required the building structure to go up rather than out. By inverting the floor plan, placing the public space on the upper floor and adding roof decks, light, privacy and views were optimized. Large south facing windows connect the open concept kitchen, dining and living space with the outdoor deck creating a more expansive feeling while meeting the program requirement for indoor/outdoor living. The cantilevered kitchen was a unique solution to enhance the overall openess and provide covered parking for one car while conforming to zoning setback requirements and creating architectural interest. An open riser staircase, bathroom transom window, and cutout under the entry foyer bench allow natural light to filter into the interior rooms on the lower levels.
Overall, the Long Branch Passive House hopes to offer a model for sustainable climate-smart living: urban infill development within a dense walkable neighborhood built to the high performance passive building standards and thoughtfully designed for compact but gracious living.