Single Family Residential

This compact, air-conditioned cottage is highly energy efficient. Using the principles of Florida Vernacular Architecture, the cottage is designed to take advantage of prevailing breezes, with cross-ventilation in each central room. The cottage is intended primarily for Florida or coastal living. The long porch is to be oriented to the south side of the cottage, providing shade for the living unit during spring and summer while allowing winter sun to light the interiors on the coldest days.

The exterior walls are made of Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF). This provides insulation values superior to code minimums and a wind speed capacity of approximately 250 mph, far exceeding the most stringent Florida Codes.

The air-conditioning system exceeds code minimums, and solar panels provide hot water. All appliances are Energy Star rated, and all lights are LED.

The Michael Flynn residence was designed using one of the prefabricated modular units (MOD Unit) produced in Sebastian, Florida. The MOD Units were intended as affordable housing units to be built in clusters of six or twelve. The Flynn residence is a single-unit structure, with a covered parking space and a sheltered outdoor living space on the first floor.

The two-bedroom living unit has slightly under 1,200 square feet of air-conditioned space. The raised decks on the east and west of the living area add functional space to the kitchen and living room.

The entire structure is fabricated from steel sections. The exterior walls are clad in STO, a resin-based material with insulation applied beneath. The living unit was manufactured in three sections and combined into one for transportation efficiency. Once delivered to the site, the modules are reattached to a single platform, raised to the final design height, and secured.

In the early 1970’s, I designed renovations for several local tomato farmers in South Dade County. The farmers get together every week to play cards. Mr. Iori liked the designs I had done for two of the other farmers, and he asked me to design a house for him and his large family.

The house was designed with all the principal rooms facing east to catch the sunrise. Just off the entrance is a spacious card-playing room with a round table. The center of Hurricane Andrew passed within a mile or so of this property without any damage.

This residence was designed for Thomas Frasier in the early 1970’s for Tom and his growing family in South Miami-Dade County, Florida. Tom wanted a house he could build himself after his work hours on the maintenance crew at Jackson Memorial Hospital.

Tom was also the first client to request that his house be energy efficient. Care was taken with the placement of windows for light and natural ventilation. This was the first house I designed to generate its own electricity (wind power). Tom also incorporated a sundial using south facing living room wall and the house floor.

Chip Wither was the owner of Wither’s Moving Company and City Commissioner in the City of Coral Gables. Chip had outgrown his original home on a heavily wooded lot in Coral Gables.

We redesigned the existing half of the house and doubled the size by repeating the same building mass immediately adjacent. One of our objectives was to save as many of the Oak trees as possible.

The local Methodist church in Key West needed to expand its existing Parsonage. The site is in the old section of downtown Key West. Historically, the lot sizes are petite, with a 37-foot width.

The accompanying Construction Documents show how we converted the existing small parsonage and added the space needed for the new minister and family.

This project, like all the others we do, is highly energy efficient and designed to complement the environment and neighborhood in which it is placed.

Since the living area of a Parsonage is also used for church meetings, the parsonage was designed to be handicap accessible with a ramp on the side of the house.

Tom Utterback, at the time of the design, was a Miami-Dade County Fireman who later retired and developed a company that insulated buildings. The design included a complete overhaul of their house, adding a pool and enclosed exterior private spaces.