North Basin Lane

Situated in Siesta Key’s Sanderling club, the home was designed as a primary residence for a local business owner and his family. Our goal was to take an aging home and transform it into a contemporary resort-style estate. It was important for the home to feel open and airy with cohesion between inside and out. We increased the bearing height and created a ceiling designed around three converging vaults that peak at various angles which allowed for a maximum number of windows. The result is a sunlit interior space that amplifies the surrounding waterfront beauty. We kept the finishes simple and let the architecture remain the focal point. The L-shape plan allowed us to create distinct public and private spaces that open to the same patio. Outside, hard edges were met with fluid landscape to complement the modern direction of the home. The pool uses stepped geometric forms to create a unique sculptural effect from every angle. The guest house and garage were done to the same level as the main home by repeating the same execution on a smaller scale. It has a unique outdoor bath attached along with a breezeway connecting to the main house. Working with FEMA guidelines proved to be challenging especially when executing at this level. To do this, most of the exterior walls were retained and the plan reworked within the existing footprint. With clever space planning, we were able to repurpose many existing features and spaces add new soaring volumes, create ample storage, and package it all into an estate level residence. None of this could have been achieved without the skilled and dedicated group of craftsmen headed up by owners Nick & Tracy Melone. Without the Melone’s inexhaustible energy, diligent and creative problem solving this home would not have been possible.

The landscape, as it is situated within the context of the home, is meant to encompass and reflect the importance of co-existing with the natural environment. In this sense, landscape is perceived not as a separate entity, but as a crucial threshold between inside and out. Once inside the estate, familiar architectural forms clearly delineate the boundaries between natural and artificial edges. Patches of soft grasses and shrubs are met with crisp concrete surfaces; chipped cypress trails lead to stepped wood planks; and water canvases bleed onto corrugated limestone. Rather than relying on pre-determined notions of detached landscape, our goal was to unite all parts of the property, including the house, guest suite, garage and pool, with walk-able surfaces. In fact, the homeowners urged visitors to walk shoeless throughout the property in order to engage with all materials.

This unique playfulness between body and landscape complement the pool itself, molding geometric forms on a blank canvas. Centralized on the great room, the pool acts as a mirror while reflecting both the glass facade and the sky. Yet, the movement of clouds suspended above the water, moving gently, brings into realization that the landscape is not static–but fluid. As opposed to a traditional pool spa, the homeowners implemented an elevated fire pit overlooking the pool towards the home and out towards the canal. Seen through this fashion, the landscape is more than a scenery; it is both observed and participated in.