DBPA was asked by the magazine Home Miami to design the first in a series of 'case study' houses for a small family on a standard 75-foot by 100-foot Florida lot. The result is 'The New Florida Home,' a modern, eco-sensitive house of modest scale but bold design ambition.
The 1850 sq. ft. house relies on range of 'green' strategies that support the elegant composition rather than serving as the building’s sole design statement. The house's orientation, raised living area, and abundant cross ventilation are sensitive to solar angles and prevailing breezes to decrease reliance on air conditioning. Materials specified, such as concrete block made from a mix of Portland cement and recycled wood shavings, marry an aesthetic of sculptural forms with sustainable building practices. A water collection system and cisterns feed the lap pool, while 'gray water' from domestic use is filtered through the green roofs to provide irrigation for native plantings.
The house was featured in the January 2007 issues of Home Miami and Home Fort Lauderdale. See the article
here.
