Over decades, the once-forested rural slice of land had its center carved out and its length severed by a series of retaining walls straining to hold back the sloping earth. An aging suburban home sat uncomfortably at the promontory. With an affection for the Key Peninsula developed through 35 years of visits to a small beach cabin nearby, our clients were enthusiastically engaged in the process of creating a home on this slice of land.
Longbranch is a home designed to be overlooked. From the country road, a gravel drive wanders towards the house passing an unassuming new barn. In the distance, where the slope drops away, only a glimpse of the house can be seen. Nearing it, the planted roof appears as a continuation of the ground plane.
A bridge extends into the house, spanning an ambiguous area that seems to be both nature and structure. These points of confluence emphasize the continuous connection between the built and natural environments.
As the front door opens, so does the view through the house, revealing the nature of the structure as well as the promontory and view toward Case Inlet below. Each room offers its connection to the landscape, sometimes intimate in scale, sometimes expansive.
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