Greenway House, Coral Gables, Florida

Abstract

The Greenway House is a new residence located in the Garden City of Coral Gables, Florida, inspired by the early revival architecture of the City and traditional architecture. The residence is located in an in-fill site and designed to incorporate a specimen oak tree which is seen from the main house and the carriage house. Unlike typical houses in the neighborhood whose massing is parallel to the street with front and rear yards defined by property setbacks, the orientation of the Greenway main house and carriage house is perpendicular to the street. This orientation allows one to experience the garden, the courtyard with its pool, and the prominent oak tree as part of the architectural ensemble of subtropical components appropriate to the site’s geographic and urban setting. The Greenway House is specifically designed as requested by the clients to be at once traditional in terms of place-making, spatial sequences and the making of the rooms that are identifiable; while still considering contemporary, domestic living where spaces are visually connected and fairly open to the natural environment.