The angular architecture of this retreat on Gasparilla Sound includes an entry that felt hidden behind its expansive site. Our design solution was to bring the user through the property in an exciting sequence that culminates at the front door, only then revealing the strong axes that led to the arrival experience.
The sequence begins through an orchard of trees that will be planted in the future, ending in a dense, lush parking area with a crisp geometric shellstone pathway as the point of arrival. The hardscape geometries overlap and lead to a strong linear pool, then to the strong axis off the front door. It’s not until one reaches this, the finale of the entry sequence, and looks back, that the axial connetction of the walkways, the pool, and even the grid of the orchard beyond are revealed. We were able to take a once hidden entry and create a dynamic, architecturally relevant space. We used many native plantings, such as Muhly Grass, Gumbo Limbo, Sea Grape, Buttonwoods, and pollination gardens to create the backdrop for this experience.
