Meet the architect whose style defined modern Jersey Shore homes

Coastal homes featuring wooden gambrel roofs, cedar siding, covered porches, and inside spaces that flow out to patios and pools are mainstays of Jersey Shore properties. The architect who brought that look to the area, arguably, is Mark Asher.

For more than four decades, Asher has left his imprint on homes from Cape May to Rumson to the Philly suburbs, everything from 1,200-square-foot cottages to 15,000-square-foot mansions.

Now principal of Asher Slaunwhite + Partners in Jenkintown, Asher has come a long way since designing his first house in 1986: an 1,800-square-foot Cape Cod in Ocean City for his parents.

“I suppose my parents were looking for a return on their investment,” Asher said. “The house was serviceable. It stood up and didn’t leak, which puts me well ahead of most architects’ first-house experience.”

That first solo experience taught him many lessons, mostly “that there was a lot to learn,” he said.

One of those lessons he acquired along the way was that many cultural myths about architects exist, beginning with the notion that architects are generalists who know a little bit about a lot of things. In fact, he said, the reality is that you have to become very, very good at many, many things.

“We are balancing the skills in land use, regulatory environment, technology, budget, and design,” Asher said. “And of course, client relationships. The house — the finished product — is the tip of an enormous iceberg.”

Those relationships have been the cornerstone of his business. He has a long list of repeat customers and takes pride in designing homes for the children of former clients.

Early in his career, Shore homes on Seven Mile Island, home to Avalon and Stone Harbor, were his bread and butter. Today, about 60% of his work comes from the Shore, and the rest from coastal clients who hire him for their inland homes.

Steve and Nancy Graham had Asher design two homes: their Avalon beach house in 2003, and their primary home in Wayne a year later. Nancy had worked for a builder at the time, and was a true collaborator during the design process.

They razed an existing cottage, replacing it with a two-story, 4,000-square-foot, six-bedroom vacation home for their family, which at the time included their three children. Now, eight grandchildren make memories there.

The Graham’s Shore house was nothing like the Wayne house he designed for them, which replicated that house’s traditional, historical neighbors. Their Avalon property was Asher’s first foray into designing Shore homes and included a gambrel roof, cedar siding, and a covered porch.

“I had designed many houses like this before anyone built one, but I kept getting shot down,” Asher said. “Once it was done, it was like a hit song, and it was all people wanted.”

As early as he can remember, Asher loved to sail. Spending his summers at the Shore, he’d tool around in a small dinghy, hugging the Jersey coast from Brigantine to Cape May.

“The sights and sounds, the feel, and even the smells of these coastal towns became etched in my memory,” Asher said. “So when I started to work in the various beach towns, it was really just going back to a place I’d already been.”

He had a similar passion for architecture at an early age, curious about old houses. He’d park himself on the curb, sketch pad in hand, and draw the houses he found most interesting. Those were his Architecture 101 lessons.

“I grew up in old houses, warts and all,” he recalled. “They were constantly being worked on. Saturday mornings invariably meant a trip to the lumberyard or the hardware store. And I love old houses still — their history and their stories.”

After graduating from Virginia Tech School of Architecture in 1982, he worked at various architecture firms, learning the subtleties of his profession. In 1992, the Ocean City Yacht Club hired Asher for a redesign, and in 1995 the Avalon Yacht Club followed suit.

“This was pre-computer, pre-Internet, so the OCYC project was drawn by hand,” he recalled. “Hard work and passion will cover the sins of inexperience.”

Asher’s first home design came in 2000, a relatively small two-coastal cottage that cost about $125 per square foot to build. Today, that same house would cost about eight times that, outpacing the inflation rate by 1,200%, Asher said.

His designs have evolved along with the needs of his clients. Shore houses today are often designed for three generations of living.

“Now you need areas for people to come together, but also to separate under the same roof,” said Michael Buck, president of Buck Custom Homes in Avalon and Ocean City, who has worked with Asher on about 30 projects.

Although homes previously housed multiple generations, they weren’t purposefully designed to accommodate the needs of extended families. In many cases, homes are shifting to a more contemporary style, with five en-suite bedrooms, an elevator, and dedicated HVAC closet.

“Mark’s plans capture a certain simplicity of the coastal environment of the home,” Buck said. “His architecture speaks to a classic, thoughtful approach to how a house blends in with its environment on a micro and macro level.”

Asher’s entry into coastal building brought a greater emphasis on the home’s exterior, both in beauty and function.

“When Mark came to town, the shift toward second homes from purely rental properties had already begun,” said Jack Binder Sr., broker at Ferguson Dechert Real Estate in Avalon. “The affluent, personal-use buyer wanted to express themselves through custom housing that stood apart from the rest and featured high-end amenities.”

“Mark married functional interior space that flowed to exterior entertaining areas allowing his clients to enjoy their home to the max,” Binder said.

Asher’s home interiors are thoughtfully designed, said Allison Valtri, principal of Allison Valtri Interiors in Avalon.

“His windows are very carefully placed so that the light comes in in a way that is unexpected,” Valtri said. “Some of my favorite windows are ones that are capturing the sky. That fulfilling moment of peace is very thoughtful.”

Asher also brought a desire for lush, green lawns to replace the stones that had previously filled the yards. “The stones were hot in the summer, cold in the winter, and ugly all year round,” he said.

“When I began, I was working in a very traditional architectural palette,” he said. “The ’70s and ’80s were not very kind to beach architecture — think big hair and shoulder pads or stucco and a fondness for inexplicable round windows. So I was on a sort of reclamation project.”

If it’s true that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Asher should feel quite proud.

“He elevates and then watches everyone else catch up,” Buck said. “For example, not long ago, a wood roof was an anomaly, but now it’s mainstream.”

But Asher sees it differently. Imitation just means he needs to challenge himself to find something better.

He shares credit for his successes with those who have helped and inspired him, including his wife and longtime collaborator, Susan Asher, as well as his architect partners, Deborah Slaunwhite and Laura Glantz, and his business partner Jeanine Snyder. He also enjoys mentoring young architects.

“Any profession has a responsibility for the generation that comes after it,” Asher said. “And I’ve often believed that my own start was a little rockier than it might have been. Some early guidance would have been helpful. So you pay it forward.”