House in the Oaks

HOUSE IN THE OAKS

Sweeping up to capture the stippled forest daylight, the sloping forms of two simple structures; a master bedroom suite addition and a freestanding office celebrate an amazing Sand Oak forest.

The site is long and narrow, gently sloping towards Big Redfish Lake.  An arborist improved the daylight and views by meticulously pruning the backyard forest.

This existing house, located on Florida’s panhandle in Santa Rosa Beach, is the delightful home of a retired couple.  Elevated on large wood piers above the sand dune, it has wide overhangs and a corrugated metal roof. Its five story observation tower has big views of the lake and the Gulf of Mexico, with the beach a five-minute walk across the street.

The upper level renovations included enlarging the kitchen to the north, to accommodate the owner’s accomplished cooking and entertaining.  The goal to improve the quality and quantity of daylight in the kitchen-dining-living room area was achieved with full height north facing windows and the dark wood walls and ceiling were painted white.  Small aperture LED recessed ceiling lights are highly adjustable for fine-tuning the ambiance on the kitchen walls and counters.

The new master bedroom suite addition (18 x 38 foot) has a simple sloping roof form, projecting from the upper level, north towards the lake. A hall along the woods links the bedroom with an open dressing room and a luxurious bathroom with a whirlpool tub and steam shower. The bedroom’s large corner windows take full advantage of forest views and light.

The ‘Officito’ is a 10 x 18 foot structure, nestled into the forest edge without cutting down any trees. Its sloping corrugated roof is the ‘little brother’ to the master bedroom addition.  The office, bathroom and a bedroom are all surfaced with cypress boards. With large windows on two sides, the office is encircled by Sand Oaks and has a built-in cypress desk.  The entry porch and warm wood door are framed with corrugated metal siding, reflecting the colors of woods and sky.

The new additions were designed for hurricanes.  Infiltration control and effective R-values were achieved with open and closed cell foam insulation, while small heat pumps provide air conditioning for this hot, moist climate.

This modest project has transformed the existing home into a tree house, reconnecting the owners with the land, the lake and the light of this amazing Oak forest.