This project conceives of the house as a catalyst for collective encounters. Designed for a group of independent individuals who pool their resources to build a collective beach house in Florida, this type of co-habitation requires reconsideration of social structures that are typical in a single-family house.
An important function of the project is to provide spaces that would be suitable for entertainment and thus the expansive roof deck is a natural starting point. By elevating it to the top of the house, unobstructed views surround the occupiable roof which is complete with a small garden, dining area, and pool.
The house features interiorized exteriors – spaces that blur the boundaries between the interior and exterior – and explores the precarious relationship of the beach home typology to the ground. The entire structure is lifted above the ground to avoid rising sea levels, and coastal erosion and to allow nature to run uninterrupted below. The aggregated volumes are suspended from the elevated roof plane and contain compact bedrooms, generous bathrooms, and communal living and kitchen areas.
A central unifying outdoor stair bifurcates the house into two clusters, separating the intimate bedroom spaces at the rear of the house from the social kitchen and living spaces on the ocean side of the building. Two sets of bedrooms on every level each share a generous bathroom and a terrace space, encouraging casual encounters between the inhabitants.
As more people live alone, reconceiving the notion of a ‘family’ in a single-family home type to include a group of non-related individuals with a shared value system expands the definition of a home to be more inclusive of our contemporary human associations.
Distinction:Most Innovative House of The YearCategory:Sustainable HousesYear:2022Location:East Austin, Texas, USAArchitects:Lake|Flato Architects, Inc.Lead Architects:Ashley Heeren and Jason BallardClient: ICON Technology, Inc.Photographer: Casey Dunn
