No sunscreen necessary

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arts, Community, Construction, Florida, Florida architecture

Water, wildlife and magnificent palm trees…I spent an afternoon admiring the most extensive collection of Florida art in the world.
When the collection they started in the late 1990s mushroomed to the thousands, Cici and Hyatt Brown decided they wanted to share with the public 2,600 oil-and-watercolor paintings that cover a 200-year span of Florida dating back to the 1700s.
Hyatt is Chairman of the Board of Brown & Brown Insurance Agency and former speaker of the Florida House. His wife, Cici, is an avid volunteer and supporter of the arts. That support may be even more impressive than the canvases hanging inside their museum.
Working with local government leaders, the couple was able to put the new building on a wooded piece of land in Daytona Beach that the city donated. The Browns, in turn, donated $14 million for construction of a Florida Cracker-style structure which is owned and run by the Museum of Arts & Sciences. (Ever generous, the couple contributed another $10 million toward an endowment to cover operating expenses.)
I’m one of 23,000 visitors who enjoyed the collection during its first year. But the museum doesn’t only attract local residents. Art enthusiasts and scholars mingle with tourists who want to add a bit of culture to their beach travels. With Bike Week roaring to a start tomorrow, it’s nice to know that visitors can participate in cultural activities, along with traditional tourism offerings, here.
Who says you can’t mix some Wyeth with your waves?

Cici and Hyatt Brown Museum of Art, 352 South Nova Road, Daytona Beach, FL is open Monday-Saturday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM and Sunday: 11:00 AM-5:00 PM

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Top 100

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Florida architecture, history, Houses, Memories, Preservation

From the onion-domed palace of Henry B. Plant in Tampa to the quaint conch houses of Key West, architecture in the Sunshine State reflects the dreamers who built it.

Floridians recently had the opportunity to vote for their favorite buildings throughout the state (www.aiafltop100.org.) More than 1.8 million votes have been cast and the winners of the Top 100 competition sponsored by the American Institute of Architects of Florida will be announced later this month.

It’s important to remember that many of these remarkable buildings faced demolition at some point. Without the tireless efforts of historic preservationists, much of Florida’s cultural legacy would have been lost.

Of course, the original purpose of many surviving structures has changed: Marjorie Merriweather Post’s 1924 Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach now houses a private club. The San Jose Hotel built in Jacksonville during the Roaring 20s became the Bolles School in 1933.

But the fact that they survive allows future generations a peek into Florida’s rich heritage and history.

　Gov. Rick Scott proclaimed April as “Florida Architecture Month” and this year marks the 100^th anniversary of the Florida chapter of the American Institute of Architects. I suggest you visit their website, and then visit the Top 100 winners that give Florida its unique character!

Above: The Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables

Florida architecture

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breeze, Design, environment, Florida architecture, Homes, New Home, ventilation

Early Florida settlers built their homes with features that we now recognize as environmentally friendly: Wide overhangs to shade windows and porches, high ceilings and big, operable windows for ventilation.

That is precisely what Orlando architect Geoffrey Mouen, AIA had in mind when he designed “Tradewinds,” the 7,316-square-foot show house in Baldwin Park sponsored by Builder Magazine.

“Early in the design, we analyzed the typical direction of the wind,” Mouen says. “The breeze comes across the pool and into the house through big doors that open up. The house is designed to capture the prevailing breeze coming across the lake through the atrium and into the main living spaces. Hot air rises through high, clerestory windows and the observation tower to help ventilate the interiors.

“The whole goal here is we’re not relying on new gizmos and gadgets to keep the house comfortable,” Mouen adds. “We’re using traditional methods that respond to the Florida climate. Of course, we can close the house up and use air conditioning when the weather is too hot. But our goal is to allow people to turn off the electricity for eight months of the year, open the house up and enjoy the beautiful, temperate climate.”

Combining classic and contemporary design (Mouen calls it Anglo-Caribbean influences) the house was raised six feet off its lakeside lot for privacy from the adjacent Cady Way Trail. Runners and roller-bladers who pass by have no way of knowing that the 9–foot louvered doors facing them lead to a Roman atrium – complete with fire cauldrons and a waterfall.

The residence has an unusual exterior – some neighbors believed the three-story building was a restaurant while others speculated it would hold church services on Sundays. However, the design actually optimizes the path of the sun to create intentional solar heat gain, interior natural light and exterior shading opportunities. A standing-seam metal roof reflects Florida’s harsh sunlight while prevailing winds from the Lake Susannah keep 2,200-square feet of covered outdoor areas cool.

Fourteen windows in the observation tower draw hot air out of the residence like a passive attic fan.  Undoubtedly, early Florida settlers would approve.