We have transformed a once-ordinary single-story ranch house into this warm modernist home by adding multiple interior and exterior rooms to create 9,000 square feet of flexible, livable space.

The owners were looking to build a healthy and sustainable home, so we decided to preserve the existing structure and elements as much as possible to reduce demolition waste and minimize the use of new materials. Florida’s hot and humid climate led us to adopt natural cross-ventilation with minimal air conditioning, while pale-colored horizontal surfaces reduce solar heat gain. In the landscaping, we used native plant species that require minimal irrigation, while the pool and the hot water supply are heated using solar energy.

Visitors enter Villa Allegra via a hanging orchid garden into an atrium featuring a circular pool and oculus that activate the space with light, shadow, and reflection. The home’s layout is arranged into public and private areas, with some double-height volumes creating transitions between the inside and outside spaces. Classical elements and a purposeful play with scale have created a sense of the monumental and the eternal.

Pared-back design, details, and finishes provide a serene setting for our client’s furniture and artworks. Natural materials, such as walnut and sandstone, and indigenous materials, such as cypress and fossilized keystone, have added subtle warmth and texture into every space.