The program brief from the developer, a local to Martha’s Vineyard, was to work five duplex buildings onto a lot zoned for single-family. The project takes advantage of state-wide incentives that allow for greater density when affordable housing is included – something Martha’s Vineyard desperately needs.

The plan introduces five duplexes—ten two-bed units in total—carefully arranged around a simple ring road. This layout allows for efficient access and circulation, while also creating a sense of neighborhood and maintaining open space. Each building is designed to look like a large single-family home. Given the narrow, yet deep, nature of the lot, this allows for a single duplex fronting the street, helping blend into the existing residential context.

The buildings themselves build on prototypical housing schemes RES4 has been developing over several multifamily projects, but with added attention to local character. Wraparound porches, bay windows, pitched roofs, cedar shake siding, and white trim all help tie the homes to the traditional Vineyard vernacular. While the units are similar in form, care was taken in how each one is approached and placed to offer residents privacy and a sense of individuality. The site design also prioritizes preserving existing trees and natural vegetation to screen views from neighbors and soften the development’s overall presence.

To keep construction efficient and cost-effective—especially important on an island with higher labor and material costs—all homes are intended to be built using modular construction methods.

We look forward to continuing to develop and refine both the site plan and architecture as we take this project from schematics to reality.