The Martin Architectural Group

Stacked Townhomes designed in collaboration with the team at Schaefer Homes, wins "Outstanding Design and Architecture" at the Maryland Building Industry Association MAX+ 2025 Award of Excellence!

Covington Oaks, the new 2 over 2 stacked townhouse designs, created for the community in Prince George's County, MD took home the residential design award last week.

Pulling from the neighboring residential styles and vernacular, the brick, siding arrangements, porches, and subtle bay projections add charm and uniqueness to each of the homes in the 48-townhouse community. Using a stacked townhouse approach, density and a more appropriate use of limited land availability were achieved, and arranged to create frontage around the shared open community green.

Pictured: Jim Schaefer and Bobby Thompson of Schaefer Homes with Dan McCauley, of The Martin Architectural Group.

NEW PROJECT ALERT! Build-To-Rent Townhomes

We’re excited to share that our team has been awarded architectural services on the Capella Park Build to Rent Townhouse community in Dallas, TX!

This residential community marks the first of a three phase development, launching with 47 two-story Build-to-Rent (BTR) townhomes. Envisioned as workforce housing, Capella Park aims to complement and strengthen the surrounding neighborhood—providing high-quality, attainable living options in a growing market. Appropriately sized two story homes with rear loaded garages create a walkable pedestrian friendly community with strong curb appeal.

The development team approach focused on:
• Smart density and efficient land use
• Livable, modern townhome design layouts
• Integration with the existing community fabric

The design contract was officially awarded last month, and our team targets early summer permitting, keeping momentum strong as we move toward construction.

We’re proud to collaborate with such a talented group to bring this vision to life—delivering both high quality design services and meaningful housing impact.

Residential Design and Innovation-Throwback Edition:

THINLINE TOWNHOMES:
14' wide townhouses with three and four story concepts and aesthetics to blend into more traditional neighborhoods.

TRADITIONAL NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT:
Rear loaded single family homes for superb curb appeal and elevation style variety! Designed to blend in with heavily curated adjacent homes.

NARROW LOT SINGLES:
Neo-traditional alley loaded garage product for narrow lot single family homes. Curb appeal, and pedestrian friendly concepts with prominent front porches and open floor plans.

STACKED TOWNHOMES:
Stacked townhomes in an urban residential neighborhood allowed for higher density living, without sacrificing the charm of the existing community.

LEED PLATINUM TOWNS:
Before it was even trendy, these townhomes in the Philadelphia suburbs pushed the boundaries of sustainable design. Solar panels, ERV heat recovery, spray foam insulation with 14" thick exterior walls, EV car chargers, and rain collection systems were just a few of the elements leading the way.

Throwbacks provide a snapshot of where we have been and sometimes a guide to where we are going.

On Saturday evening, the Breckstone Architecture team was proud to once again sponsor and attend the annual Shine A Light benefit concert hosted by the Light up the Queen Foundation at the historic Queen Theater.

Each year, this high-energy night of live music brings together an incredible lineup of regional musicians while raising funds to support music education opportunities for underserved youth in Delaware.

Breckstone Architecture, A Studio of The Martin Architectural Group, has proudly sponsored this event for many years. Our principal, Todd Breck, is also a passionate recording artist and an active member of the local music community, making this event especially meaningful for our team.

The evening showcased what makes our region’s creative community so special — musicians, supporters, and organizations coming together to create real impact through the power of music.

Thank you to the performers, volunteers, sponsors, and organizers who continue to make this event such a success each year.

This past Saturday (3/7), our team was proud to support the mission of affordable housing with dignity for all at the 23rd annual Habitat for Humanity of Chester County Build a House…Build a Dream Contest!

Each year, 5th grade students from across Delaware Valley step into the role of designers—creating their own house concepts while learning about architecture, community, and the importance of safe, affordable housing.

The children are provided only two rules, a maximum 3'x3' base size, and to be 100% creative! The students present their creation to a series of judges and explain their concepts, interests, and decision making.

Events like this are a powerful reminder that design can inspire the next generation while supporting a mission that truly matters. Habitat for Humanity’s work continues to create opportunities for families through stable, attainable housing and stronger communities.

We were honored to contribute to the event, with Principal Dan McCauley participating as an industry judge alongside other professionals helping evaluate the students’ thoughtful and creative designs.

Congratulations to all the young designers who participated. Your ideas, creativity, and passion for community made the day truly inspiring. 👏🏠

And to the amazing staff at Habitat for Humanity, thank you for the dedication in creating and running such an impactful event, and the work you do in your mission!!

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We’re excited to share that our team will be exhibiting at the upcoming ICSC Mid-Atlantic event in Washington, D.C. March 2nd and 3rd, space #514!

Partners Dan McCauley, AIA and Drew Romanic, AIA will once again be on site representing our company, connecting with industry leaders, clients, and colleagues from across the retail real estate community.

With the Martin Architectural Group at the forefront of mall conversions, shopping center rebirths, ground up retail, and mixed use communities, our expertise is in high demand.

We’re looking forward to meaningful conversations, new opportunities, and strengthening existing relationships.

If you’re planning to attend, let’s connect and schedule time to meet. See you at the Westin DC Downtown next week!

2026 Newark Summit – Cliff Notes
Key Market Intelligence for Developers, Designers, Owners & Investors
📍 Newark, NJ | 🗓 February 9, 2026

Big Picture Takeaway:
Newark, NJ is positioning itself as a Northeast model for balanced urban growth—where mixed-income housing, adaptive reuse, TOD, and experience-driven development outperform single-use, single-income strategies.

🏙️ Mixed-Use & Place-Making

Community-anchored projects win long-term (arts, culture, social programming = stickiness)

Food & beverage is now the 2nd largest private employment sector → no longer an “amenity,” but an economic driver

Transit-oriented development (TOD) remains the most resilient framework across market cycles

🏢 Office Market Reality Check

Panelist take-Downtown office markets are estimated to be ~30% overbuilt

Demand strongest for Class A; Class B/C = reposition or redevelop

Adaptive reuse trends for Class B&C Office:

Residential conversions leads the way

Startup-scale office (smaller, cheaper, flexible)

Lab space and tech space with open-floor concepts growing

Where reuse doesn’t pencil: strategic demolition + land assembly enables reset

With 30–40% of workers preferring fully remote, offices must now compete on experience, not just location

🏛️ City of Newark – Municipal Priorities

Success measured by housing affordability + wealth creation

Tools under discussion:

City-owned lots for small developers

Public funding for portions of construction

Shift from project-by-project affordability to area-wide funding strategies

Continued reliance on tax abatements

Major infrastructure investment (Gateway Tunnel) seen as critical to growth

🏘️ Affordable & Workforce Housing

Biggest gap: “Missing Middle” (80–120% AMI)

Mixed-income projects consistently outperform single-income models

Newark framework:

20% minimum affordable requirement

Fees below threshold support 100% affordable projects

Workforce housing treated as essential infrastructure

📈 Emerging Development Trends

Demand strongest in metro-connected, multicultural urban centers

Taller buildings + non-combustible construction to unlock density

Higher rents require better product:

Premium amenities

Higher-quality finishes

Floor-to-ceiling glazing

Improved HVAC & indoor air quality

Industrial demand favors 20–30k SF spaces, either new or demising existing stock to re-tenant. (Large-format 200k+ SF product struggling)

🏗️ Multifamily Market Insights

Standardizing municipal proforma review could speed approvals

Class B multifamily expected to outperform Class A in some markets

Panel consensus:

Mixed-income (80/20) models = best practice

Overreliance on 100% affordable is risky, leads to unbalanced areas

Small-scale condos support generational wealth and community stability

We’re proud to once again support Habitat for Humanity of Chester County and their 23rd Annual Build a House… Build a Dream Contest! 🏡✨

📅 Saturday, March 7, 2026

📍 Exton, PA

🔗 Learn more and register: https://www.hfhcc.org/build-a-house-build-a-dream/

For many years, The Martin Architectural Group has been honored to sponsor this event and participate as industry judges, working alongside talented 5th grade designers as they imagine and present creative model homes. Our team members — Dan McCauley, Jaime Esbensen-Kelly, and Scott Hartner, — have proudly represented the firm, helping introduce young minds to design, engineering, public speaking, and the Habitat for Humanity mission.

Habitat for Humanity’s work goes far beyond a single event — they bring people together to build safe, decent, and affordable homes, helping families achieve stability, independence, and opportunity through affordable homeownership. Their mission in Chester County focuses on building homes that qualified families can purchase with affordable mortgages, supported by dedicated volunteers and community partners.

We believe in strengthening our community by investing in education, creativity, and access to housing that’s within reach for hardworking families. It’s an honor to support Habitat’s mission and join in celebrating tomorrow’s designers today.

Proven Design Partner for Florida Developers- Just look for yourselves:

Across Florida, we help developers unlock value, reduce risk, and move projects forward — from entitlements to ribbon cutting.
Our architecture and land planning teams deliver market-driven solutions for:
• Affordable, market-rate & luxury multifamily
• Single-family homes & townhouses
• Mixed-use communities
• Retail, commercial buildings & mall repositioning
• Municipal buildings
• Master planning

Florida project highlights include:
🏢 Santa Rosa Mall – repositioning & reinvestment strategy
🏙️ Lake Nona Condominiums
🏛️ Golden Beach Civic Center
🏙️ Osprey Landings Apartments
🏙️ Deco Green Apartments

What developers value most:
✔️ Deep experience navigating Florida zoning, entitlements & approvals
✔️ Designs aligned with pro forma, constructability & speed-to-market
✔️ Relentless coordination with builders, municipalities & ownership teams

With offices along the East Coast — including Coconut Creek, FL — we bring regional expertise with local ex*****on, supporting projects of every scale throughout Florida and beyond. www.martinAIA.com

🎄 Holiday Cheer, Philly-Style 🎄

This year, our Philadelphia office celebrated the holidays in a whole new way—breaking in our new office space with a party that mixed design minds, friendly competition, and a whole lot of fun.

From Giant Jenga (yes, architects and engineers get kind of intense 👀), to corn hole flying through our high ceilings, classic Christmas movie marathons, cold beers, claw machines, and some surprisingly intense wind-up racer showdowns—it was the perfect reminder that great spaces are meant to be enjoyed, and so is great company!

Cheers to teamwork, creativity, and celebrating the season together at Martin Architectural Group. 🎅🍻

From early concepts to nearly complete construction, it’s always rewarding to see design take physical form. The Locke Landing Clubhouse in Baltimore, MD is coming together beautifully as part of the Locke Insulator community.

The Locke Insulator community, developed by 28 Walker Development in partnership with Greystar Apartments, DRB Homes, and K. Hovnanian Homes, are providing approximately 800 new housing units within the city of Baltimore.

🏘️ Townhomes & “2-over-2” units: ~389 total for-sale units
• 297 traditional townhomes
• 92 stacked “2-over-2” townhouse/condo units
🏢 Apartments: 420 rental units in two Greystar-built buildings.

🏗️ The 3,500 SF clubhouse, designed by The Martin Architectural Group will serve as the H.O.A. hub and amenity space for residents and both home builders—bringing community, functionality, and thoughtful design under one roof, and anchoring the neighborhood. Our team blended elements of the urban residential design styles for this modern spin on a traditional building function.

With: Clipper Construction, Kimley-Horn, PE-Services, and AE:S Engineering.