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This 3,900 sq. ft.
three level structure opens entirely to the sea which lies in front of it. In
this way the house bridges between the ocean and the land. The domestic areas
are organized around a triple-height space that alludes to the function and
scale of the interior patios of the colonial houses. The patio is visually and
functionally an extension of the hall and the dinning room. It brings natural
lighting and ventilation to the residence. The patio space culminates on the
ground floor with a circular pool that is treated as a pond flanking the
existing garage annex. The triple height space will be lighted by means of
several cylindrical shaped skylights. The skylights in this house are employed
as a way to celebrate the intense light of the Caribbean by re-articulating the
traditional use of colored glass and surfaces around light openings. The façade
is treated as a pervious surface that contains a giant window that frames the
view of the sea from the second and third level. All the rooms in this house
will be naturally illuminated and ventilated. Additionally, the back of the
house is dominated by a ‘brise-soleil’ that neutralizes the impact of the sun in
the south façade. The diaphanous and transparent qualities of the north and south facades contrast with the opacity and impermeability of the sides. Due to the inadequacy of lateral views, this elevation was designed with minimal apertures; the few windows are framed by ‘L’ shaped eaves that offer protection from sun and rain.
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