Islamorada House (2014)

This house was designed for a husband and wife on a small peninsula in the Florida Keys as a study of contradiction.  The house supports an open and outdoors lifestyle yet is designed to be a bunker proof against almost any hurricane.  The house is contemporary but with a warm and traditionally tropical interior. The house is inviting to guests but still a cozy home for the private couple.  To achieve all of this, we carefully balanced comfort with sustainable technology and smart design. The house utilizes a blend of passive and active systems including SIP concrete walls, an immense rainwater collection tank, sewage storage on site, solar electric and water heating technology, and abundant passive cooling taking advantage of cross breezes and the stack effect of the primary stair tower.  If needed, this home could exist completely off of the grid for several months at a time.  For calmer days we included extensive decks accessed by pocketing sliding doors, roof space for exercise, outdoor showers, an elevated pool, and an outdoor kitchen area. 

My role in this project was to translate the initial design sketches (done previously, but put on hold for a time) into permit, bid, & construction drawings. This included finalizing the design with the client and working closely with the engineers to realize our vision.  I then had a supporting role throughout the construction phase; coordinating with the contractors and owner on developing construction details, modifying the design over time, and responding to RFIs, as well as working with the owner on interior design and exterior color schemes.