MHouse South . Sarasota, Florida

The Owners asked for a +/- 3,000 SF house, filled with light with openness to the exterior, tailored to the indoor/outdoor lifestyle afforded by the Florida climate, and suitable for entertaining friends and family who may stay for a couple of days or a week at a time.  The program included three bedrooms, an open kitchen, dining for up to twelve, an art studio, an office for two that could double as a fourth guest room and other typical single family household requirements. A pool for swimming laps, and outdoor seating and dining were also important.

This site was in its native state even though surrounded by housing elevated on fill to comply with flood regulations.  Rather than removing mature vegetation and filling the site, the house is elevated above parking and storage and is nestled into the vegetation not displaced by the house.

The program elements and circulation are organized around a courtyard as the primary outdoor space. The wall of sliding glass doors at the Living/Dining area, the Studio and Office opens to the courtyard and allows the areas to communicate with each other. The glass hallway of the guest wing doubles as a gallery enriching the courtyard experience. Separating the main part of the house from the Studio and Office/Guest Bedroom area at the rear of the site allows existing trees to be visible from within the courtyard and surrounding spaces while providing privacy from the adjacent house in the rear.

The house is animated by natural light and connected with the environment in a way that allows a protected and relaxed feeling of openness. The house’s massing is designed to block views into the house from surrounding properties and to block views of the houses surrounding the site. The house steals views of neighboring vegetation and on-site vegetation through carefully placed windows and the break in the house’s massing, while still protecting privacy. The result is a house enriched by its relationship to the exterior elements afforded by the courtyard and the views of vegetation and sky.