Architecture
The attention to detail – both in the Master Plan and architectural style – has made East Beach one of the best neighborhoods in America (with the awards to back it up). East Beach is a “Traditional Neighborhood Development” (TND), designed and built in the style of traditional Atlantic coastal villages. The Master Plan for East Beach was developed in the style of “New Urbanism” by world renowned TND master planners Duany Plater-Zyberk. Design guidelines for the East Beach homes are set out in the East Beach Pattern Book and are upheld by a Town Architect. These homes are rooted in the coastal character of the Tidewater region and include four primary languages: Tidewater Shingle, Tidewater Colonial, Tidewater Victorian and Tidewater Arts and Crafts. Read more about these distinct styles below.
TIDEWATER COLONIAL REVIVAL
Tidewater Colonial Revival is rooted in the Colonial Revival Style that was prevalent in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Bringing together Colonial and Classical design, they feature motifs such as Ionic and Doric columns, with traditional elements such as deep porches, deep eaves, and cornices.
TIDEWATER SHINGLE
The Tidewater Shingle house is a variation on traditional Victorian- and Colonial-era homes, adapted to a coastal environment. The houses are simple, elegant, and clad in cut shingles. They feature deep porches and shuttered windows to provide refuge from the summer sun.
TIDEWATER VICTORIAN
The Tidewater Victorian house builds on the “Carpenter Gothic” cottages that were abundant at early coastal resorts. Reminiscent of small-town homes and rural farmhouses, this pattern features steeply pitched gable roofs, clapboard siding, and restrained Victorian ornamentation on the porch and the building's cornice.
TIDEWATER ARTS AND CRAFTS
The Tidewater Arts & Crafts house is derived from the traditional beach bungalow, and features broad, open porches, low sloping roofs with deep overhangs, multiple gables, and window and door compositions that are asymmetric, yet balanced.
