The small 50 foot wide site is one house removed from the Gulf of Mexico in Venice. A larger residence directly to the West obstructs the view to the Gulf. With careful edits, the design takes advantage of two view corridors through the setbacks of neighboring lots.
The living room looks through a gap on to the northwest, while the kitchen enjoys the southwest view corridor. These views correspond respectively to the summer and winter sunsets. The beach can be reached by means of a private beach access between neighboring properties. The house is divided into two wings. The main living quarters is on the second floor to take full advantage of the views. The ground floor accommodates the guest bedrooms, a small guest living, and the foyer.
The two wings are connected by a courtyard and a two story exposed concrete wall along the main stairs. The elevated wing spans over the small yard creating a shaded space between the courtyard and the beach access. The path down to the beach access from the main living spaces adds to the perceived dimensions of an otherwise small site by taking advantage of the diagonal of the yard. To reach the beach access, the resident would exit the house from the opposite corner, cross the courtyard, walk under the raised living, before reaching the gate leading to the beach.
A concrete wall extends from the entry stoop to the top of the stairs, connecting the foyer to the elevated living. A second exterior stair, hanging on the face of the house, revolves around the small courtyard to lead to the roof terrace.
The project was Halflants + Pichette’s fifth design-built project completed to date. The firm holds state licenses for both architecture and construction, and on select projects, performs both design and construction services. While most design-build firms are led by contractors, Halflants + Pichette remains centered on design. All of the design-build projects are overseen by architects allowing management continuity and design oversight throughout the project phases.
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