Inland living reimagined by coastal and regional inspirations.

This project, otherwise referred to as Blurry Block, is located in Winterpark, Florida. The small city is an enclave in central Florida that was historically a winter destination for New Yorkers and New Englanders looking for warm weather refuge from the harsh winters of the North East. Winterpark, like much of inland Florida, is defined by lakes, groves of old growth trees, and a consistently warm climate.

The client wanted a highly differentiated concept for townhomes over a large flexible commercial storefront. The site boarders a historic district and the design needed to be a forward looking yet elegant neighbor to the assortment of nearby masonry vernacular, frame vernacular, Mediterranean revival, colonial revival, and mid-century modern styles.

The design for the residences draws on the iconic natural elements of the region. Each triplex townhome is organized around a double height courtyard pool inspired by lakefront living in the area. The pools act as a passive heat sinks helping maintain cooler temperatures in the core of the building. A two story sculpted white concrete wall reflects light into the courtyards while further absorbing excess heat from the pool. The building’s courtyards are imagined as abstractions of the geologic formation of Florida’s lakes. These lakes which define the state were formed as the porous limestone earth beneath it eroded by immense underground aquifers over history and eventually collapsed into a karst topography of lakes.

The building faces a large park. On the second and third floor shaded balconies provide private outdoor living reminiscent of the expansive two story porches and balconies of nearby colonial buildings. To provide additional privacy and shading while maintaining a connection to the lush park across the street, the entire façade is engineered out of translucent fabric. Similar to a sail, the fabric screens are mounted to custom rollers inspired by modern mechanically furling and reefing sailboat booms.