The MacDonald House . Siesta Key, Florida.

Designed for a well-known author and his wife seeking a creative sanctuary, this pavilion style home sits on a semi-tropical point of land at the mouth of an inlet to Sarasota Bay. Heavy timbers, with round pole columns, are connected to concrete pile caps. The poles raise the living level well above a storm surge, creating an elegant and simple pavilion.

The house is lifted above the ground, a simple square defined by a grid of structural pole members, seven to each side. Sliding and fixed glass panels abut the heavy timber poles, providing an uninterrupted view of the water and the setting sun. The deep veranda protects the house from the elements and offers a natural place of repose for its occupants. Using natural building materials and sympathetic forms, this well detailed house becomes one with its site, preserving existing palm, oak, and mangrove trees.

Year Built: 1966