The quartet (the house) is more than a green little package in the Broadmoor historic district, it is a transitional composition derived from the simple and rhythmic flow of “When The Saints Go Marching In”. The first four notes of the song help to articulate a symphonic theme that defines the composition as an iconic experience. Those four notes become the conceptualization that transition from plan, to public and private experiences.

The four notes influence the arrangement of the house into four spaces; the front porch, the public area, the private area, and the back porch. The public space is shaped by the entry area, lift, living room, dining room, kitchen, public garden, and half bath. The private space is shaped by the master bedroom and its private garden, full bathroom, and the second bedroom. The circulation space connects these two spaces and the two porches on opposing sides of the house by running through the central core. The house was designed to embrace natural lighting in order to minimize energy costs throughout the day. The two garden spaces help to separate the public space from the private space while filtering the harsh light from the east and west through the rest of the building. They also provide first floor level gardening spaces for the occupants. Vegetation for this space ranges from annual flower bulbs to seasonal herbs and berries that require shallow potted spaces.

An emphasis is made on the implementation of ADA standards and the Principles of Universal Design. An extremely important influence on this design was to provide the accessibilities for persons with disabilities without making those allowances distinct throughout the house. The electric lift is a key feature of this design focus. It is accessible from the ground level, right next to the garage, and it lifts up into the interior of the house at the same spot that the stairs enter the interior space. This demonstrates the equality of users and the importance of function.

The cost of the building came under budget at $92,758. The main savings was because this project is designed to be steel reinforced concrete piers, floors, and walls. This design feature aides in the category 5 hurricane wind resistance efforts while minimizing the project costs. We wanted to embrace the materials and decided to do a stained finish instead of covering up the natural material. This saves in wasted material and allows for the prefabrication of the main structural pieces throughout the building. Hurricane resistance shutters glide on tracking system to protect the glass façade at entry level. The shingle roofing is made out of recycled materials such as tires, allowing for price reduction, a longer life span than asphalt shingles, and increased durability. All appliances are ENERGY STAR rated to be energy efficient and all fixtures are low-flow. Spray foam is being used for the insulation in the flooring and the roofing; there is not any insulation in the walls since they are concrete. Using this spray foam reduces construction costs and leaks.

The design follows the conceptual idea of space and transformation through compositional experiences that begin to expose the essence of sustainability in the heart of soul and music.

Location