When it’s that the pueblos of the American Southwest, saltboxes of the Northeast or Midwest Prairie-style homes, a home’s layout is best when it’s harmonious with the surrounding landscape and climate.
In an environment such as Florida, where the summers are hot and humid while the winters are cool and dry (often downright cold), a house should block sunlight, allow for lots of air motion and readily shed the rain. Additionally, it needs to have a great deal of thermal mass to absorb solar power during the day and then release all of it at night.
And with all the excellent green and blue of the surrounding tropical landscape and warm water, a Floridian house must have large and covered porches, verandas, lanais and other outside spaces to enjoy residing outside. Watch more signature elements of the well-designed Florida dwelling below.
Clifford M. Scholz Architects Inc..
Spaces are requisites for Florida homes. To maintain the tropical breezes flowing while offering respite from the hot sunshine, these spaces must be open on three or more sides and covered with a roof or other shading device.
Clifford M. Scholz Architects Inc..
Florida coastal home layouts need to consider tropical storms. Building codes mandate that doors, windows and outside material assemblies must be able to withstand the flying debris, high winds and driving rains of these storms. Shutters or even impact-resistant glazing is essential. And siding and roofing materials should comply with Florida codes and be approved for use.
Eric Watson Architect, P.A.
Raising the home even a small amount will help stop damage from the flood that so frequently accompanies a tropical storm.
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Eric Watson Architect, P.A.
And increasing the home also has the benefit of creating porch spaces which could be perches to watch the water from.
Talking of the water, why don’t you bring some of these blue-green of the surroundings into the house itself? Whether in large swatches, such as dividers, or in horizontal bands, like handrails, the colors chosen can make that wonderful connection of a house to its website.
Jeffrey Dungan Architects
Horizontal layers help tie a Florida coastal house to its own landscape. The reduced level can relate to the grasses and low shrubs, while the upper level can connect to the tree line.
And then there is the sky. A solid vertical element increasing through the house to bring added light into the inside is also a fantastic way to get warm inside air out of the home.
Jeffrey Dungan Architects
Just remember a sheltered spot to gaze out on the world from.
London Bay Homes
Because warm air rises, a two-story Florida house requires a lot of shaded outdoor area on the second floor. These types of spaces will allow the warm atmosphere leave the home whilst also providing some fantastic places to sleep for all but a few weeks of the year.
Eric Watson Architect, P.A.
These porches do not have to be big; sufficient space for a seat or daybed will do. What could be better than falling asleep to the sounds of the gulf waters while tropical breezes keep you comfortable?
Cooper Johnson Smith Architects and Town Planners
From flies to mosquitoes to no-see-ums, Florida has its own fair share and then some of insects. So make sure the sleeping porches of your Florida coastal house are screened to keep away the bugs.
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