The program called for the development of the primary residence for a family with young children on an in-fill waterfront lot. The setting is a modernist town developed in the 1950s on two islands off of the South Florida Intra-coastal Waterway. The home was designed at the height of the economic boom in the earlier part of 2007. In contrast to the pervading trend at the time in South Florida--to capitalize on the increasing cost of land and real estate--the owners and design team set goals that would be respectful of the context and the landscape, as well as conscious of resources and sustainability. Despite the quasi-urban setting, this effort resulted in a reduced footprint in the highly priced site (only half of the buildable area as per zoning ordinances) and the adoption of the LEED for homes scale to ensure a sustainable path. Defined by a modern aesthetic, the structure addresses the existing context and incorporates the surrounding landscape. Working with very stringent hurricane impact code requirements, the project strove to weave interior and exterior spaces into a unified whole. In addition, the project represents a milestone in residential green building in the area. As one of the first homes in South Florida to have achieved silver LEED certification from the USGBC and gold certification from the Florida Green Building Coalition, it hopes to contribute to the establishment of a path for a more sustainable future in the region. With regard to the design merits of the project, the residence is the recipient of two AIA awards: "Unbuilt Design Award" from the Florida Chapter of the AIA in 2008 and "Excellence in Architecture Award" from the Miami Chapter of the AIA in 2010.
