The beach has created beautiful memories for many families. The cool night breeze, the sounds of waves crashing on the beach, and feeling as if time was standing still are experiences that we will never forget. Some of us also know what it feels like to live in a small town where homes are near work and schools, and you enjoyed worry-free walks on broad sidewalks along quiet streets. If you can imagine combining these two things, you will be pleased to see how Cinnamon Shore captures these elements in a liveable community perfectly suited to the Texas Coast.

I personally observed in recent decades how the Postmodern movement shook loose some of the urban planning and architectural tenets of Modernism that were not people-centered.  Architectural movements like the New Classicism and the New Urbanism began to emerge, which focused on well-designed towns and neighborhoods to help create community.  We are seeing places like Cinnamon Shore dive deep into this new era of development and transform coastal areas into sought-after places with a strong sense of community.

The unique experiences at Cinnamon Shore originate from the placemaking vision and design code of renowned urban designer Mark Schnell.  He has created a wonderful community with stunning views, outstanding features, and fun activities for families on the Texas Gulf Coast. Mark’s vision is about “integrating the elements of living…and shared moments” within a community that all guests and family can share. Here at Dibello Architects, we are excited to announce that we have the privilege to be a part of this thoughtfully designed project.

Images Credit: Cinnamon Shore

Jodi Peters, the broker for Cinnamon Shore, reached out to our team to collaborate with their design team after being recommended by Mark Schnell, who had seen some of our work on Instagram.  Our team was thrilled to know that we would add to the architectural fabric of one of the most successful New Urbanist projects developing on the Texas Gulf Coast.  We welcome the challenge of designing homes for smaller lots located within an urban fabric and balancing privacy and openness within the defined footprint of the lot while taking the adjacent houses and view corridors in mind.

The liveable community aspects promoted by New Urbanism and the emphasis on beauty and craftsmanship in Traditional Residential architectural styles have guided my work for most of my career. Those influences are woven within my firm’s design philosophy, and are a great match-up with the design goals at Cinnamon Shore.  As always for me, the careful use of natural light, the apparent simplicity of the spaces, and the ease of living in the house are top of the list in our design approach.  Especially important here is the thoughtful creation of covered porches that extend the indoor spaces to the outdoors – a must-have for a relaxing, beachside retreat.

I am looking forward to working closely with Jodi Peters. She has considerable experience in luxury architecture and design. She knows what makes Cinnamon Shore a special place and what kinds of features in a home are most important for Cinnamon Shore homebuyers.  I believe her guidance will strongly influence the design criteria for the both the spec and fully custom houses we will be doing. On top of that, the Design Code created by Mark Schnell is brilliant, so it will be fun and challenging to design within the parameters of the code.

We are honored to be one of the architects at Cinnamon Shore. Our highest goal for these homes is to create a most-loved place that is a family beachside retreat where memories will be made for years to come.