Siesta House spills out onto its site from a set of stacked and interlocking volumes that hold similarly interwoven spaces. Organized around a central breezeway clad in thin planks of warm wood, the house’s spaces are split into two zones: a primary living area for the owners and a set of private spaces for their adult children and grandchildren.

 

The site’s location in a flood zone necessitated a six-foot elevation change between the first floor and grade. To negotiate this difference, we designed a courtyard at the level of the first floor that connects the interior to the pool area just beyond. From there, a series of concrete plinths cascade from the courtyard level gently back down to the land. Here, the steps, rather than distancing the house from the ground through unoccupied space, tangibly link the two.

 

The connection between inside and outside, built and natural, is felt throughout the home. Large glass panels delineate a delicate line between the courtyard and the interior living space that disappears when the panels are opened, folded and stacked.

 

Upstairs, carefully placed openings capture sea breezes and frame views in the distance, while a large window on the third-floor filters northern sunlight into the main living spaces three stories below. Recessed wood clad balconies provide private exterior nooks for each bedroom and mitigate the effects of west facing sunlight. Interior and exterior staircases connect the spaces of the home and culminate in a roof deck that allows peeks through the treetops to the Gulf of Mexico and the horizon beyond.