East Hollow

This project is the radical renovation of a home designed by a Sarasota Architect Don Chapell and built in the late seventies. In critically analyzing the existing plan, we recognized a few shortcomings. The long, narrow plan was book-ended by the kitchen at one end, and the Living Room at the other. With the circulation, choked off by a stair in the center, it required a significant re-design. We did two things, move the stair, and stepped the front façade to create order and widen the internal spaces. In reimagining the front façade, we pursued a modernist design which would reflect the new organization of the interior spaces. The minimal façade orients the interior spaces to the southern backyard while calling attention to the entry, which was hidden in the original design. Lastly, the louvered façade outside of the living room created privacy, highlighted the view out to the existing landscape, all the while continuing the language of the main façade. The final design showcases a circulation that is smooth, interior spaces that are now open to each other, and an exterior that is a stark reflection of this internal order.