Welcome to the Archives of The Paul Rudolph Institute for Modern Architecture. The purpose of this online collection is to function as a tool for scholars, students, architects, preservationists, journalists and other interested parties. The archive consists of photographs, slides, articles and publications from Goldfinger’s lifetime; physical drawings and models; personal photos and memorabilia; and contemporary photographs and articles.

Some of the materials are in the public domain, some are offered under Creative Commons, and some are owned by others, including the Goldfinger Estate. Please speak with a representative of The Paul Rudolph Institute for Modern Architecture before using any drawings or photos in the Archives. In all cases, the researcher shall determine how to appropriately publish or otherwise distribute the materials found in this collection, while maintaining appropriate protection of the applicable intellectual property rights.

Follow the links below to see Goldfinger’s work during the:

1950’s 1960’s 1970’s 1980’s 1990’s 2000’s

LOCATION
Address: 285 Riviera Drive
City: Beach Haven
State: New Jersey
Zip Code: 08008
Nation: United States

STATUS
Type: Residential
Status: Built; Demolished

TECHNICAL DATA
Date(s): 1965
Site Area:
Floor Area: 4 beds, 2 baths; 1,940 ft² (591.3 m²)
Height: 13’-0” (3.96 m)
Floors (Above Ground):
Building Cost: $30,000 USD; Additional $8,500 for the site

PROFESSIONAL TEAM
Client: Alexander Herskovitz (1915-1983) and Frieda Herskovitz (1917-2005)
Architect: Myron Goldfinger (1933-2023)
Associate Architect:
Landscape:
Structural:
MEP:
QS/PM:

SUPPLIERS
Contractor: Ullman and Silvermaster of Harvey Cedars, New Jersey
Subcontractor(s):

Herskovitz Residence

The project scope is to design a residence for Alexander Herskovitz (1915-1983) and Frieda (Schreiber) Herskovitz (1917-2005).
Myron Goldfinger is a professor at Pratt Institute at the time of the commission, and he is assisted by his student Richard S. Herskovitz (1943-), the son of the clients. Richard Herskovitz later graduates with a Bachelors in Architecture from Pratt Institute in 1968.
The client gives a rigid set of requirements for the design:
- conformity to local builder’s methods
- four bedrooms with maximum privacy and two bathrooms - at low cost
- lots of storage space (“every square foot accountable”)
- one level only and “wasted” vertical space
- justification of each design element
Goldfinger develops a unit design geared to prefabrication and standardization. The design features a variety of experiences through the constant articulation of forms which always express functions.
The project is submitted to the 1967 Homes for Better Living Program sponsored by the American Institute of Architects in cooperation with House & Home and The American Home.
Alexander Herskovitz passes away on September 20, 1983.
Frieda Herskovitz passes away on September 25, 2005.
The residence is sold for $1,850,000 USD on November 17, 2006.
In 2011, a 7 bed, 6 bath 6,385 ft² (593.2 m²) single family residence is built on the site.

“A reasonable alternative solution to the inevitable nonarchitect designed builder’s house to which a large part of the public turns, out of consideration of cost.”

— Myron Goldfinger in “Prefab on the Waterfront.” A.I.A. Journal, Apr. 1969.