VILLA ALLEGRA
Oppenheim Architecture + Design
PHOTOGRAPHS
Eric Laignel
AREA
9000.0 ft2
PROJECT YEAR
2002
Text description provided by architect.
Multiple rooms, both interior and exterior, have been added to a non-descript, one-story 1960's ranch style home transforming it into a receiver of Miami's tropical climate. While the effect is striking, minimal alterations were made to the existing structure.
The house is entered through a 20'x30'x30' volume where a reflecting pool and oculus align to activate the space with reflection and luminance. A large room organizes the house into private and public realms.
Tremendous spaces with oversized windows overlook the pool and canal. A 60'x20'x20' volume, at the rear of the home provides enclosure for outdoor living and a large circular column contains an outdoor shower open to the sky.
The second floor contains a secluded courtyard garden, off the master bedroom. The project provides a flexible infrastructure for the participation and enjoyment of the pleasures of life.
Specific materials used include stucco, concrete, impact resistant glass, Ipe wood flooring, Indian sandstone, and onyx. The house responds to the context of historical homes in the neighborhood abstracting the application of indigenous materials such as local cypress, and fossilized keystone. Powder coated laser-cut aluminum screens also reference the past in a futuristic manner.
