A family villa on the Florida waterfront saves its surprises for the rear elevation
KoDA’s Parkway Residence is a new family villa concealing an inner courtyard and waterside garden with far-reaching views
Occupying a waterfront site in Golden Beach, Miami, this family villa, titled Parkway Residence, was specifically shaped so as not to dominate the lot, with a modest street façade that opens up to the rear views. Designed by KoDA (Kean Office for Design and Architecture), the house was a response to a client request for an indoor-outdoor lifestyle for their family of five.
A family villa tailor made for its clients
Wesley Kean, KoDA’s principal, describes the project as a ‘layered sequence of spaces defined by programmatic volumes and curated gardens’, made trickier by the wedge-shaped plot that shrank the width of the waterfront façade.
The front of the house represents a classic modernist frame, meticulous in its detailing. Recessed balconies give the run of bedrooms on the upper floor their own outdoor space, while entrance sequence is signalled by a wall that ‘reaches out’ towards the street.
The entrance leads to a ground floor arranged into three main pavilion areas, a service space, informal reception areas and a more formal entertaining space. KoDA has grouped these ‘pavilions’ around a central courtyard, while to the rear, the main rooms are unified by openings that lead onto the pool deck and garden, uniting informal and formal spaces when the glazed doors are opened up. There’s also an outdoor kitchen here, as well as secluded seating areas.
On the floor above are two concrete framed bedroom spaces, connected by a suspended bridge that runs across the double height central space. On one side, the children’s bedrooms, on the other, the principal suite. To make the most of furthest reaching views, the latter is slightly angled, giving the rear façade a very different character to the front.
Materials include exposed concrete, natural stone and wood cladding, while structural concrete columns are bold and sculptural, almost brutalist in form. The architects note that the central courtyard also helps with ventilation, with a stack effect that draws air through the living spaces and up through the heart of the house.
KoDA is based in Miami and has won a clutch of awards for its residential work. The studio has also built builds work and retail projects, alongside making civic spaces and art installations.
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Architecture by KoDAMiami.com, styling by Sensesunleashed
Jonathan Bell has written for Wallpaper* magazine since 1999, covering everything from architecture and transport design to books, tech and graphic design. He is now the magazine’s Transport and Technology Editor. Jonathan has written and edited 15 books, including Concept Car Design, 21st Century House, and The New Modern House. He is also the host of Wallpaper’s first podcast.
-
Inside The Met’s magical ‘Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion’ exhibition
On the evening of the Met Gala 2024, Wallpaper* takes a tour of The Met’s latest Costume Institute exhibition, ‘Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion’, a multi-sensory journey of sight, smell and touch
By Tilly Macalister-Smith Published
-
Olympic Torch Relay Cauldron by Mathieu Lehanneur: 'the object which unites our energies'
Mathieu Lehanneur unveiled his design for the Olympic Torch Relay Cauldron for Paris 2024 as the Torch Relay prepares to make its debut in Marseille on 8 May
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
Alternate worlds and end of days: Pierre Huyghe in Venice
Pierre Huyghe delves into dystopia with 'Liminal', at Palazzo Grassi’s Punta della Dogana in Venice
By Amah-Rose Abrams Published
-
Designer Holly Waterfield creates luxurious pied-à-terre in Renzo Piano Manhattan high-rise
A private residence by Holly Waterfield Design Studio in Renzo Piano's skyscraper 565 Broome Soho blends a sense of calm and cosiness with stunning city views
By Léa Teuscher Published
-
Cubitts Mercer Street in New York is a moody ‘treasure box’ of depth and drama
Cubitts Mercer Street opens in New York to a concept by London-based studio Tutto Bene, offering sleek details and moody design
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
A guide to Frank Gehry's architecture: mesmerising, expressive and sometimes controversial
Canadian-American Frank Gehry has earned his position in the hall of fame of contemporary architects through a wealth of groundbreaking designs; here, we explore why, how, and his key projects
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Sunset Islands home ‘is a beauty’, says F1 legend Eddie Irvine
As the Formula One Miami Grand Prix kicks off, we tour Sunset Islands Residence by Strang Design, a Florida home for race legend Eddie Irvine
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
One Domino Square: Brooklyn’s iridescent skyscraper is an Annabelle Selldorf first
We quiz New York architect Annabelle Selldorf on One Domino Square in Williamsburg, her first residential skyscraper, with apartments going on the market today
By Léa Teuscher Published
-
Pioneering Miami residences by Aston Martin aim to capture the imagination
Marek Reichman on the creation of the new Miami residences by Aston Martin, the brand’s new design showpiece
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Shadowbox is a Montana retreat that epitomises rest, reflection and recovery
Shadowbox is a Montana retreat designed by Arizona-based The Ranch Mine as a contextual escape for unique experiences
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Shigeru Ban’s mini Paper Log House welcomed at The Glass House
'Shigeru Ban: The Paper Log House' is shown at The Glass House in New Canaan, USA as the house museum of American architect Philip Johnson plays host to the Japanese architect’s model temporary home concept
By Adrian Madlener Published