All Photos by Ryan Gamma Photography
Sarasota School specialists Seibert Architects transform a run-down, historic structure into a light-filled family home that echoes the past.
It was a 2004 article in the New York Times that first introduced Roberto and Clare Arguedas to Martie Lieberman, a Florida real estate agent who focuses on selling architecturally significant houses. Planning a move to Sarasota, Florida, at the time, they read of Lieberman’s efforts to preserve the city’s modernist dwellings built during the Sarasota School of Architecture movement in the ’50s and ’60s by the likes of Ralph Twitchell, Paul Rudolph, and Philip Hiss.
Enthralled, the couple reached out to Lieberman, who educated them on this period of architectural history and its impact on the Lido Shores neighborhood in particular. After an extensive tour, she even found the couple a 3,510-square-foot home designed by Twitchell’s office—albeit one that suffered years of neglect. That’s when Lieberman suggested that the Sarasota School–savvy local practice Seibert Architects step in.
A painting by Taiwanese artist James Jean is a focal point in the main living area, where low ceilings, common to architecture of the era, led interior designer Jennifer Masters to select furniture that sits at a lower height "without sacrificing comfort." Bonus: unimpeded views of the pool.
"We understand what was going on back then, and the intention behind this style of house," says architect Michael Epstein, pointing out how his company’s namesake, Edward "Tim" Seibert, launched his career working for Rudolph.
The Arguedas family—including a toddler and two dogs—lives here year-round. "We were looking for a restoration that was sympathetic to the midcentury aesthetic, but it also needed to be practical and have modern comforts," explains Roberto Arguedas.
When Epstein first laid eyes on the Arguedas abode, he immediately took note of its ample quirks. Devoid of air conditioning, a must during Sarasota summers, it had curiously been reorganized as an open-air pavilion, with windows and both exterior and interior doors removed.
A bulky outdoor heater, typically the domain of restaurants, was inside, and the original carport was closed-in with sliding glass doors and an out-of-place storage room awkwardly nestled behind the master bedroom. "I was grinning for two days because the previous owners were basically camping out there," Epstein recalls.
Fully restoring the structure to its glory days was not a possibility; Roberto and Clare did not want to scale back on the square footage that had since grown, and not every material and detail could be recreated. Still, the couple sought to revive its midcentury air and blur the boundary between the indoors and outdoors—a Sarasota School hallmark.
Although the striking heritage roof comprised of panels arranged in a V formation was in reasonable shape, the interior was a misguided, incohesive jumble of motifs. Some of the original, unsalvageable stack-bond block walls stretching from inside to outside remained exposed; other parts were marred by the addition of finishes like wood and stucco, the latter of which Epstein embraced throughout for a sense of consistency.
The floor—a mix of concrete and exposed terrazzo—leading from the interior to the pool was stained opaque black before the overhaul, and it’s now "redone with concrete topping to be more visually unified," says Epstein. New doors and windows were fitted, and skylights now brighten once-dark bathrooms.
All of the bathrooms, which were sans doors in the previous iteration of the house, were reconfigured.
The shower is crowned with "an open hole through the sky when you look up," says Michael Epstein of Seibert Architects.
The introduction of air conditioning posed its own distinct set of challenges, including dropping the hallway ceilings by 12 inches to forge air distribution pathways. "Because there is no attic or interstitial spaces, we used the geometry that was there," explains Epstein.
The Arguedas family especially loves hanging out on the lanai. "We wanted to keep the indoor/outdoor connection, while recognizing the realities of Florida’s climate," says Roberto. "The 45-foot span of sliding doors provides a lot of flexibility in that respect, and ensures that even when the heat makes us keep them closed, you never feel disconnected from the main room when enjoying the pool or sitting under the roof extension." The pool’s surrounds were upgraded, too. Previously, guests would be staring at a "mishmash of aberrant elements; there’s just landscape out there now," adds Epstein.
To amplify the stunning zigzag roofline and pool, streamlining components was a conscious design decision, says Roberto. In its former incarnation, the concept "was inward-looking, a home built around its pool," he adds. "Michael went to great lengths to make sure it would be a smooth visual transition from indoors to outdoors, taking advantage of the natural light from the glass triangles that fill in the zigzags."
For example, the pool cage in place prior "was in poor condition and structurally unsound; the dark-bronze beams, low height, and odd shape made it feel claustrophobic," he adds. Epstein’s solution was to design a taller one that aligns with the walls of the main, open-plan interior and doesn’t obstruct views.
Masters drew inspiration from the beach and artwork by David Hockney and Ellsworth Kelly, and she selected soft, round furniture that contrasts with "the angular nature of the space." She found balance by pairing vintage and newer pieces in a variety of textures with a cool palette, and she says the fluid living area’s internal focus—the pool—helped "create an oasis of calm on a crisp, white backdrop."
> https://www.dwell.com/article/arguedas-house-seibert-architects-3da9ea1f
Project Credits
Architect of Record: Samuel C. Holladay, Seibert Architects
Builder/General Contractor: Denny Yoder, Yoder Homes LLC and Ball Construction
Structural Engineer: Hees & Associates, Inc.
Interior Design: Jennifer Masters, And Masters
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