Project Description
FROM THE ARCHITECTS:
The condominium is on the 15th floor of Siesta Key’s Terrace Building, originally designed by Frank Folsom Smith in 1969. Two corner units were combined into a single continuous condominium space. All interior partitions were removed. The new layout stretches the unit over the full depth of the residential tower. The master bedroom suite looks to the city in the distance while the living space faces the Gulf and the beach on the other end.
The unit’s low ceiling presented the main design challenge. At the highest point, the ceiling is less than eight feet. In order to turn the limitation into an advantage, the ceiling became a major feature of the project. The original popcorn ceiling was entirely stripped to expose the original concrete formwork. The design-build team added a clear finish coat to give it a reflective sheen. The glossy concrete surface extends through the entire condominium from the master suite to the living room, tying the large unit together and giving it a sense of space. The concrete has remarkable character, revealing the original process of construction. One can identify the joints in the formwork and the variations in the concrete mix.
Elements of steel were introduced throughout the unit to compliment the concrete. Ten foot wide steel and wood folding partitions allow the owner to transform the space and to isolate the office from either the living or the master. The partitions fold back into the wood core to reconnect the office with the rest of the unit to form one continuous space. The steel is only revealed when the panels separate the office from the adjoining rooms. Other custom steel elements include a wine bar, the housing for the electric shades, and a steel desk spanning between existing columns.
In contrast to the exposed concrete and steel, the architects specified warm and rich finish materials for the walls and floors. The kitchen, bathrooms, and storage are laid out in a wood veneered central core. The wood conceals all of the inner workings of the unit. Speakers, vents and air return are all accommodated through discrete cuts and perforations in the wood veneer. In order to keep the ceiling over the main spaces as high as possible, the architects avoided running ductwork past the wood core.
The original windows were replaced by a series of 7-panel bi-fold glass doors that open out from the structural corners of the unit. When open, all of the exterior walls of the unit disappears to open up to the long view over the ocean and the island. Three sides of the units are fully operable. The breeze can drift through the unit uninterrupted.
User-friendy cutting edge technology helps the owners control the condominium’s environment. The master bath borrows light from an adjoining space through a window with a switchable electric film. At the touch of a switch, the glass turns white to provide additional privacy. When off, the bathroom can enjoy a view of sunrise or of the beach. All shades a remote controlled. Lights, air, shades, and sound are all controlled by centrally located touchpad or by the owner’s mobile devices.
Besides designing and building the unit, Halflants + Pichette Studio for Modern Architecture also selected the furniture which includes a lounge chair by Poul Kjaerholm, a B&B Italia couch by Antonio Citterio, and a swivel chair by Jeffrey Bernett. All furniture were selected for their sculptural form, comfort, and for their weightlessness. The designers wanted pieces that floated above the large porcelain tiles to add to the sense of a continuous fluid space. The architects took care not to design the condominium room by room, but as an uninterrupted sequence of spaces to increase the perceived dimensions of the unit.