If this Hobe Sound, Fla., beach house sat any closer to the Atlantic Ocean, it could be classified as a boat. “At high tide, the water is 20 feet away from the house,” says John Umbanhower of Scott Hughes Architects, also known as SH_Arc. Naturally, materials associated with beach activities provided a starting point for the home’s design. The partners at SH_Arc divided it into three side-by-side boxes: one for sleeping, one for entertaining, and one for enjoying views of the ocean and shoreline. They based the sleeping box’s exterior texture and color on that of the surrounding white sand. The owners love to sail, so the aluminum cladding of the entertaining portion resembles a boat’s metal hull. And the mix of clear and ceramic fritted glass enclosing the southern end of the building recalls smooth pebbles of beach glass.
Builder Benchmark III Corp. constructed the house on the foundation of the 1980s Cape Cod that previously occupied the property, as local restrictions wouldn’t permit an all-new house this close to the water. Existing, pile-driven concrete piers, augmented by several new ones, anchor the structure. To comply with hurricane regulations, the architects elevated the new house 5 feet off the sand. While this requirement increased the difficulty of designing a graceful entryway, they didn’t let the situation faze them. “We saw it as an opportunity to have a processional ramp,” says Umbanhower. A two-story pop-out frames the front door, equaling the drama of the wide entry stair.
The owners asked for a lap pool, but there was no ideal spot for one on the property. Once again, SH_Arc turned a potential stumbling block into an advantage. They placed the solar-hot-water-heated pool on the roof of the one-story aluminum box, creating a spectacular amenity that doubles as a skylight into the kitchen. Angled columns inside the house lend structural support to the pool, connecting back to the underground concrete piers for further stability. In case of water leakage, an air cavity surrounded by a 3-inch-thick concrete wall envelops the pool and funnels excess moisture to the outdoors.
Shadows cast by rippling pool water glide across the interior space throughout the day, crisscrossing with additional shading from the fixed metal louvers that cover the western windows. “The louvers are angled to shade the sun and provide vision out,” says Umbanhower. “They’re hinged so you can lift them up and wash them.” They also shield against strong winds, eliminating the need to use hurricane-rated glass on the west side of the house.
The architects kept the interiors clean and simple, heeding the clients’ suggestion of using streamlined boat design as a general model. Limestone floors and maple cabinetry gently reflect natural light, and a subtle palette allows the views and the couple’s color-saturated paintings to take center stage. The 3,500-square-foot house possesses a quiet presence that defers to its striking environment—just the effect SH_Arc intended. “We really sensed the site itself was more amazing than any architecture we could have built,” says Umbanhower.
Project Credits
Builder: Benchmark III Corp., Jupiter, Fla.
Architect: SH_Arc, Venice, Calif., and Hobe Sound, Fla.
Engineers: Albert Gargiulo, West Palm Beach, Fla., Wojcieszak & Associates, Stuart, Fla., and Sinclair Engineering Co., Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
Landscape architect: Innocenti & Webel, Hobe Sound
Living space: 3,500 square feet
Site: .5 acre
Construction cost: $500 a square foot
Photographer: Ken Hayden
Resources:
Curtain wall: Alumaglass; Doors/windows: PGT; Fritted glass: Viracon; Kitchen cabinets: Bulthaup; Kitchen countertops: Caesarstone; Limestone tile: Haifa.
