Lotus on Orange

This 2,500 square foot new residence is located in the historic Bungalow Heights neighborhood of Sarasota, Florida. Set on busy Orange Avenue the house was designed to simultaneously embrace the Florida lifestyle of indoor-outdoor living with natural materials and modern simplicity while also planning for sound mitigation and privacy. The single-story home has three bedrooms and three bathrooms.

A walled entry courtyard features a large biotic pond, tropical plantings and a polished concrete water feature to reduce traffic noise. Visitors enter the home with a walk across the floating pads in the lotus pond and arrive to an intimate entry vestibule opening upon an expansive light filled living room with high ceilings and clerestory windows. Two 16’ sliding glass doors in the kitchen and living room open to access the screened in tropical outdoor room, covered porch, gas fire pit and swimming pool. A deep porch provides shade from the western sun while visually extending the indoor space.

At the hub of the residence, the eat-in kitchen sits as the bridge between the lotus pond and the swimming pool and provides views to each through expansive walls of glass, truly bringing the outdoors in. A floating pantry wall screens the entry to the private wings of the house.

Two private wings, a master suite and a guest/office suite border the pool courtyard and the entry courtyard respectively. Upon entering the master suite, a glass lined passage, featuring a daybed, passes by a private master courtyard. The master bathroom shower and tub sit in front of a wall of glass open to the courtyard, reinforcing the connection between indoor and outdoor spaces. The master bedroom looks across a raised planter to the pool. The office, situated towards the front of the home, opens to the lotus pond, providing an intimate and peaceful space to work and relax.

A warm palette of natural materials is used both interior and exterior. Polished concrete floors were chosen for their durability, thermal massing effect, and their natural beauty. Cypress wood detailing, terrazzo tiles, and bamboo panels provide a rich contrast to the smooth white walls of the homes interior.

The home is LEED Platinum, certified FGBC, Energy Star, FPL BuildSmart and Florida WaterStar Gold.