Designed as a multigenerational hub for an expanding family, this home balances flexible gathering spaces with comfortable aging in place strategies. The main living level accommodates the owners’ day-to-day life on a single, elevated floor. An elevator allows the owners to avoid using the stairs as they grow older while also granting the benefits of raising their home high above grade.

Responding to flood and hurricane risks, the house adopts a “house on stilts” concept, raising the primary living spaces 12 feet above grade and nearly 20 feet above sea level. Positioned between public parks, a busy state highway, and the Intracoastal Waterway, the site presented challenges for privacy, noise, and intense western sun while also offering exceptional views and unique access to the water and beach. Deep overhangs, strategic landscaping, and an operable screen system mitigate afternoon heat while preserving unobstructed vistas to the water and nature preserve beyond.

Drawing from South Florida’s tropical modernist legacy, the design reinterprets strategies seen in Paul Rudolph’s Harkavy Residence and Cocoon House. A layered privacy screen wraps the main level, while the interior is set back from the floorplate’s edge to create breezeways, balconies, shade, and privacy. The main living spaces are oriented to the rear of the property, creating a protected and private haven.

Privacy and resilience drive the material palette, with exposed concrete, stucco, natural stone, and impact-rated glazing throughout. The result is a home that is durable, light-filled, and airy while also remaining deeply shaded, highly private, and designed for life on the South Florida coast.