RESIDENTIAL: Osprey, Florida
"As we filled in the details, no brainstorm was too far-fetched: When Jerry Sparkman sketched a freestanding bedroom at the southwestern corner of the lot facing the ocean, I wondered if we could relate it to the sea turtles that nest on the beach each summer. Discussions about the essence of turtles ensued, eventually informing a copper-shingled structure that is part sleeping room, part garden folly, and part lookout post to the sea."
Owner's Diary
The Beach House is part of a large coastal estate. The smallest of three structures, this one bedroom/one bath, 415 SF structure is designed to visually float above the coastal landscape. It is positioned on the site to help define the southern edge of the courtyard and to provide an intimate, contemplative space to enjoy Gulf views. Elevated to comply with FEMA regulations, the copper-clad volume is anchored to the site by a large stone-clad wall, implying a sense of delicate balance and material permanence.
The materials, which reiterate the main house palette, impart a visual weight to the simple composition of wall intersecting with volume. This small outbuilding completes the courtyard of the family compound, at the same time allowing the native coastal landscape to flow beneath it, merging the natural with the man-made.
