Kent Beach Cottage . Cayo Costa Island, Florida.

This small pavilion, with magnificent views of the Gulf of Mexico, sits quietly behind a primary dune in Cayo Costa, Florida.  Made of ordinary materials, the cottage can become an open umbrella welcoming air and light on all sides, or a closed calm secure structure for long periods of time from stormy weather and the hands of man.

The pavilion rises from the ground; a simple square defined by a grid of structural pole members, four to a side.  The spirit of this simple house is exemplified by these columns, which are buried in the ground.  Exposed beams and rafters embrace the columns and guide the eye to the soaring 21-foot height of the light monitor.  The screened pavilion is flooded with light and provides natural cross ventilation when the shuttered walls are opened. 

Gutters and downspouts were devised to channel water to a cistern.  Portable gas tanks were set to fuel lights and kitchen appliances. A wood-burning stove was installed to give warmth in cooler weather.  A light monitor was centered on the metal roof to ventilate rising warm air and to admit diffuse natural light from the sky. 

Through the use of natural building materials and sympathetic forms, this little cottage becomes one with its site, preserving existing palms, mangroves, and sea oats.

Built Year: 1974