A TROPICAL WONDER

Charles Harrison Pawley, FAIA, Principal in Charge,
Nazifa Najem Given, Project Manager
ARCHITECTURE

Geomantic Designs Inc, Robert Parsley, ASLA, Principal in Charge,
Greg Pawley, Project Manager
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

CDC Builders, Jose Ortega, Chairman,
Rick Ake, Project Manager
BUILDER

Notwithstanding rainforests, subtropical South Florida mimics most of the characteristics of tropical regions closer to the equator. It is hot and humid and stormy in the summer -although the soaking rains usually follow sun-washed mornings.

And from June through November, there is a legitimate concern about hurricanes. Yet the enviable climate from October through May compensates for the more challenging months. And throughout the entire year, the prevailing winds blow soft, caressing breezes.

In such an atmosphere, tropical architecture makes good sense. Broad porches and terraces, deep overhangs, vaulted ceilings, an abundance of windows and doors, metal roofs and buildings sited to capture the prevailing winds - these are some of the hallmarks that keep a home cool.

As for their overall appearance, tropical homes are generally articulated in wood - a throwback to Old Florida cracker houses. But Charles Pawley, arenowned tropical architect and a fellow of the American Institute of Architects, broke with tradition in designing a 10,000-square-foot house on Key Biscayne. With the future in mind, the tropical, umbrella-like home is reinforced concrete clad in travertine marble with selective applications of wood. It makes a powerful statement.

The house was a dream commission from a couple residing in Laguna Beach, California. When they decided to move back to Miami to be near their extended families, they purchased a two-bedroom home on Mashta Island, a finger island feeding from Key Biscayne. But it was the lot more than the house that captured their hearts. "We fell in love with it," the wife recalls.

No doubt, for it was exquisite - a point of nearly an acre of land offering a 270° panorama of painterly views. Views embraced a lagoon, the seemingly endless Biscayne Bay, the Atlantic Ocean and Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park. This was nirvana for the nature-loving owners.
Initially, the couple's intent had been to add a second story to the existing house. That changed when they learned that new zoning mandated their elevating the house first.

"We had never built a home before because everybody had scared us with horror stories," the wife explains. But despite their trepidation, the couple chose to build.

They had learned about Charles Pawley from an article in Florida Architecture featuring a pavilion house and another profiling Florida's tropical architects. It was a good match from the start. "Charles worked very closely with us to make sure we got what we wanted," the husband affirms.

Their requirements were straight-forward. Simply stated, they included ample spaces to accommodate their casual, water-oriented lifestyle - all to be located on one floor; a focus on indoor-outdoor living; and a clean, tropical design crafted with natural materials. Everything about the house reflects their wishes, starting with natural materials that withstand the harshest weather. Pawley has such confidence in the home's endurance that he says, "This is a one thousand year house." And it well may be.

In addition to the reinforced concrete are exposed columns covered with two-inch-thick keystone. Multiple roofs, all sheltering pavilions, are pati-nated copper with cypress outlookers. These are capped with copper for protection.

Stainless steel cables on handrails are impervious to rust. Ipe, a wood that defies deterioration, is applied to lattice work and two top-floor terraces. French doors and custom windows employ impact-resistant glass framed in solid mahogany. They do not need storm shutters, because the Miami-Bade County code-approved glass is so strong, it is almost bullet proof.

Sitting at seven feet above mean high tide, the home's four-car garage translates to the lowest of three levels. And while the top level holds two en-suite guest bedrooms, the middle level - well above flood criteria at approximately 16 feet -comprises every element of living space the owners requested. Exercise room, state-of-the-art theater, family room, library, kitchen, master suite, guest suite and much more - all with terraces.

To enter, it is necessary to first motor up a short, inclined driveway. Then one walks across a bridge over a huge, elevated koi pond. Inside, the house gracefully advances in an axis starting at the front door. It leads from a lineal foyer toward a main stairway - past an open dining room and an indoor garden, nourished by the filtered light of a latticed skylight. The journey proceeds through the view-oriented living room until it reaches the pool patio.

"This is an incredible house," says builder Jose Ortega, who himself has lived on Key Biscayne since 1960. "From the time you come in the front door, you're looking at the bay." This was Ortega's first project with Pawley, and he found the building experience both challenging and personal.

"It was mostly challenging because of all of the stone and marble and columns on the outside, and perfectly lining up the woodwork the way Charles likes it," he says. Personal because as a youth he water skied on the Pines Canal behind the home and swung from a rope on a pine tree there. "Working with Pawley was really great," Ortega says. "So was the chance to build on one of the most beautiful lots I've ever seen."

One of the most exciting elements of the experiential home is the ten connected roofs covering a series of eight indoor and two exterior pavilions. "Every major room has a high vaulted ceiling, every ceiling is cypress, and all are slightly different," Pawley proclaims. Saturnia floors echo a sand tone palette offset cypress ceilings and light oak kitchen cabinetry. Only dark mahogany doors and window frames offer a bold contrast.

Like the interior, the exterior area by the iridescent water is beautifully choreographed. The owners had requested an open gazebo that could be optionally closed by screens. The request materialized as a grand pool pavilion with recessed screens that go up automatically by push button or remote control. Most of the couple's entertaining takes place outside in this pavilion. "I have a large family with nieces and nephews," the wife says. "We barbeque, and the kids are in the pool. We love the indoor-outdoor living."

Blending with the natural beauty is the negative-edge pool, situated ten feet above ground. This gives the owners easy access and achieves the "water to water" view. The pool visually and seamlessly blends into the blue of the water surround.

At the same time, the pool is a paragon of functionality. "When I design a pool, I don't design with a shallow and deep end," Pawley states. "I make it relatively shallow all the way through so that people can stand almost throughout."

Robert Parsley, the landscape architect, was extremely sensitive to the architecture and the views. He placed large coconut trees as frames for different locations. Because of the salt exposure from almost three sides, he was forced to find tropical foliage that was tough, like Philodendron Xanadu. Then, he says, "We had to locate little niches in the facade of the architecture that were somewhat sheltered from the wind to make the planting easier." In response to a request for color, bromeliads, crotons, flowering trees and colorful foliage were installed.

It's been almost a year since the couple moved into their wondrous tropical house. "Through spring we opened up the doors and had great ventilation," the wife says. "With the huge overhangs we are able to be out during a regular rain storm and stay dry. We feel like we're part of nature, part of the environment here," and indeed they are. The exhilarating views are often enhanced by sightings of manatees and dolphins.