Floridian Court #2

This house design is quite typical of many warm weather homes (particularly for Florida), in that it is mainly on one level, and there is no basement. It works best on a completely flat lot. The courtyard is also quite common, since many houses in Florida are located on very small lots, compared to the size of the home. This walled design provides decent privacy.

The Front

This is the second iteration in 3 designs that I did. Florida Courtyard #1 had a roof where the deck next to the front bedroom is located. I decided to extend the deck, and I think the effect is much better. There is also a Florida Courtyard #3, but I have not yet become satisfied with how the second floor lays out. This design (#2) has a rather long hallway on the second floor, and it even wraps around the first, back bedroom, and the bath.

The Side

Some things worth noting:

• The most prominent feature has to be the walled courtyard and the porte cochère. Inside the courtyard is a fountain surrounded by tropical flowers, and it serves as a focal point for the many large glass windows and doors along the "interior" walls.
• I like the effect of the brick "corner boards" that is repeated around the entire house, including the courtyard walls. That and the roofline details tie the whole design together, visually.
• The front entrance takes guests through a series of high-ceilinged antechambers to the vestibule between the formal living room and the less formal leisure/entertainment room.
• The master suite, though not excessively large (by Florida retirement home standards) has a private enclosed courtyard all to itself.

On the second floor (below), you might want to note the following:

• Perhaps the least satisfying aspect is the long L-shaped hallway that snakes around both back bedrooms and the bath. Many different configurations were tried to find a better layout, but none seemed to work as well.
• There is a large deck overtop the kitchen, and this deck wraps around the outside of the house to provide outside access to the front bedroom..
• The front bedroom has a small office space, quite suitable for an adult child or relative. Some thought was given to splitting the bath into two smaller baths, but one larger bath seemed somewhat better.

This is the front, from the right, at night. Note the roofline theme that is continued from the porte cochère to the front of the house, to the second floor.

From the driveway, here is the view of the grassy courtyard and fountain.

Here is the same courtyard view at night.

This looks from the back corner of the second floor deck. This house is designed for outdoor access.

I like the effect of the ledge over the closet and the sink area of the master bath. The ceilings in this room are very high, with large windows well above eye line, for the most privacy (except for passing aircraft).