Project Description
The program called for a home for a family of five in a corner infill lot in a South Florida Island residential community. The site is flanked by single family homes and is located across the street from the neighborhood school. The design challenge involved the development of an extensive program of indoor and outdoor spaces in a restrictive site. In addition, the living spaces had to be set at a flood elevation six feet above the existing grade. Some of the goals set forth in the initial stages of design included: Minimizing the building footprint and creating a private outdoor courtyard, that would be integrated with the indoor spaces despite the change in elevation. Orienting the main living spaces towards this private courtyard and/or towards the more residential street to the West of the site. Separating the pedestrian and the vehicular/service entries to the home, with the first located along the private residential street and the second on the more public street across from the school. Decorative metal screens serve to modulate the western sun as well as provide privacy from the street.