CASA CUBO, COCONUT GROVE, CORAL GABLES, FLORIDA, 2020:
This new single-family home is located at a transition point along the street. To the East are a number of fine examples of Florida Wood-Frame Vernacular homes, dating back to the origins of the City. These homes were built by George Merrick for Black families many of whom would help build the City-Beautiful. To the West, the fabric of the street begins to change. The precinct of St. Mary's Baptist Church is immediately adjacent to the proposed house, and beyond the Church are a number of smaller homes, built in a later era, followed by the City's primary highway, US-1. As a result of these conditions, Casa Cubo takes cues from the architecture of Coral Gables beyond the MacFarlane Subdivision, notably, the Mediterranean Revival.
In order to distinguish this home from its neighbor -- also designed by our firm for the same client, this home was designed with a flat roof, and a second-floor porch with wooden shutters. The shutters help soften the sharp lines on the mass of the home and connect it to the Bahamian tradition of "Sleeping Porches." Another distinct feature of the home is a courtyard that doubles as a carport. This flexible space accommodates the likelihood of a car parked inside but allows the possibility of a homeowner without a car utilizing the space for leisure, helping to activate the street life -- a staple found in the most historic blocks of the neighborhood.
Project Collaborators: Steven Fett, Andrea Hernandez, Daniel Szmidt and Octavio Rinaldi.