Coastal living idea house 2004

"The South Florida community of MiraBay lies on the eastern shore of Tampa Bay amid mangrove islands and bird sanctuaries.  Its houses and other structures exude the atmosphere of Old Florida but come equipped with the latest technology.  Our 2004 Idea House embraces these same timeless design ideals.  A redbrick drive escorts visitors inside the lush courtyard.  Architect Don Cooper of Tampa's Cooper Johnson Smith Architects points out that the courtyard, a detail borrowed from island architecture, is at home in the area's tropical climate.  "You walk through a flourishinggarden on the way to the front door," he says.  "We looked at Caribbean architecture and lots of different semitropical architecture for inspiration," says Don.  As in typical tropics design, the house is shaped like the letter H, with a linear center pavilion and perpendicular wings on each end.  "The structure is just one room thick in most places, allowing you to capture breezes and have windows on three walls of many rooms,"  Don explains.  "It also increases the number of spaces that have a view of the water.  "In the islands, real louvers let the air come through, but they offer privacy and shade", explains Don.  "These walls give a sense of that same breeziness."  Louvers are used as detailing throughout the house."

-Excerpt from Coastal Living Magazine, Nov-Dec 2004