Originally designed by Ralph and William Zimmerman in 1954, this mid-century modern (MCM) ranch house embodied the essence of the Sarasota School of Architecture movement. Unfortunately, the house underwent several alterations and additions that disregarded its original architectural character erasing its clarity of plan and simple form.
Avid of mid-century architecture, the current owner fell in love with the few elements that remained untouched, such as the exposed post and beam structure, the original briquette, the large 8’x8’ sliding glass doors for cross ventilation, and terrazzo floors. In addition to revitalizing the mid-century character of the house, the owner also considered adapting the plan and program of the house to accommodate today’s new way of living.
The first strategy constitutes an adjustment of organization. Stripped from the unfitting additions, the renovation respects the existing building disposition. The floor plan reconfiguration creates a seamless open flow between the original structure and the new addition. The clarity of plan is established in the centrally located living core with private quarters on opposite sides.
The second strategy is the respectful echoing of the existing building’s inclination of volume, proportion, and materials to regain the clarify of form. The repetition of the original roof line with clearstories, the addition of large panes of glass, and the expression of the exposed post and beam structure erase the confluence between the old and the new, while reinforcing the mid-century movement it is a part of.
View Original