The Schechter House . Sarasota, Florida.

The Owners requested a 4,000 SF, four-bedroom house which would be open to the exterior, filled with natural light and would take full advantage of its waterfront location.

With eight feet of slope down to the water, the pool area and waterfront yard are terraced to provide flat open space for outdoor activities, for children at play and to ease the transition down to the water.

The main spaces of the house are aligned along the waterfront to capture preferred views and open into the pool cage for bug-free indoor/outdoor living. An interior courtyard surrounded by glass on three sides brings light, vegetation, and sky to the interior circulation where views of the water are not possible.

The design shapes the occupant’s experience of moving through the house with an abundance of natural light and views of vegetation playing an important role. Ceiling height transitions are used to define spatial boundaries and to articulate circulation. Radiused wood ceilings are placed over the main spaces allowing natural light to spill into these spaces from above and to create an enhanced sense of openness and a lightness of spirit.  The curved roof forms contrast with the more serious rectilinear nature of the design, bringing a lighthearted quality to the house which is uplifting to its inhabitants.

Photographer: Ryan Gamma