ESSENTIALS
Firm Name: SEA Studio Architects
Principal: Scott Edmonston
Headquarters: Millville, Delaware
Accolades: Forbes Architecture’s “America’s Top 200 Residential Architects,” 2025; Forbes Architecture’s “America’s Best-in-State Residential Architects,” 2025
House Name: Contemporary Coastal Cottage
Location: Bethany Beach, Delaware
Site Specifics: A 40-by-125-foot infill lot one block from the beach
Area & Layout: 3,700 square feet, 7 BR, 8 BA
Architectural Photographer: Todd Mason, Halkin Mason Photography (halkinmason.com)
S
EA Studio Architects designs houses that bridge the divide between contemporary and traditional, with linked gabled volumes that nod to vernacular design without forsaking the airy, light-filled interiors that clients crave. Asked to design a house that could accommodate three siblings and their respective families on a slender infill lot just steps from the beach, the firm proposed this multifaceted structure that marries quaint clapboard with woodsy California cubism. Inside, sleek concrete and steel combine with passive heating and cooling (and a compact plunge pool out back) to provide respite from the sun.
FRED ALBERT, Forbes Deputy Editor, Architecture: In terms of scale, scope and identity, how does this project fit into your overall body of residential work?
SCOTT EDMONSTON: In many ways, this is exactly the type of project that people associate with our firm. The house has a simple, familiar architectural form that feels like it belongs to its time and place along the Atlantic coastline. While the house shares an ethos with all of our residential and commercial work—being resilient, sustainable and sensitive to the human scale—it is also a unique reflection of the in-town Bethany Beach site, the program and our clients’ personalities.
ALBERT: Creatively, from a design problem-solving viewpoint, what are a few of the most satisfying solutions that came together here?
EDMONSTON: I love the familiar gabled form balanced by the more contemporary, wood-skinned rectilinear volume. Over the last few decades, the default design response in the area has been to build bigger, ever-more-monotonous boxes, and I’m proud that we were able to navigate a challenging program for a multigenerational home while maintaining a sense of scale and proportion. I also appreciate the use of durable, cool interior materials like concrete and painted steel, which create a calming respite after a long, hot day at the beach.
ALBERT: And what’s next for the studio?
EDMONSTON: We’re working on a range of exciting projects throughout the Atlantic Coast. In addition to our portfolio of custom homes, we’re developing a neighborhood of 25 net-zero-ready houses in southern Georgia, as well as other project types such as affordable housing, a farm-to-table restaurant and a performing arts venue. I believe our residential expertise gives us a unique perspective on these other project types, and that exploring creative design responses beyond housing ultimately strengthens our custom residential work.
ABOVE: The north facade offers views of the ocean. “The form and massing needed to be balanced to satisfy the town’s strict bulk-density restrictions,” Edmonston says, “and to fit within the existing fabric of small beach cottages and new three-story houses.”
Todd Mason
ABOVE: The front door opens into an interior courtyard that acts as a transition space between the street and the foyer, which is visible through the door at rear.
Todd Mason
ABOVE: The polished-concrete floors in the foyer are offset by warm expanses of Douglas fir. “The open stair leads to the living and sleeping spaces above,” Edmonston says.
Todd Mason
ABOVE: Dusky painted-wood cabinets anchor the kitchen at one end of the great room on the top floor. “Natural light from the windows in the southwest corner contrast with the dark finishes,” says Edmonston.
Todd Mason
ABOVE: A hall behind the kitchen leads to the primary bedroom spaces.
Todd Mason
ABOVE: Exposed collar ties provide structural support in the great room and are integrated with decorative fir beams.
Todd Mason
ABOVE: The architect managed to squeeze a small plunge pool into the backyard; the stairs lead to a ground-floor bar and poolside living area.
Todd Mason
More from America’s Top Architects
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/fredalbert/2026/04/25/americas-top-architects-a-modern-beach-house-by-delawares-sea-studio-architects/
