BEST REMODEL/RENOVATION
PL ATINUM
Architect: Sweet Sparkman Architecture & Interiors Contractor/Builder: Michael K. Walker & Associates, Inc. Landscape: John Wheeler Landscape, Inc. Pool: Backyard Resort Style Pools by Jackson Pools, Inc. Photographer: Ryan Gamma, Greg Wilson
GULF GARDENS S W E E T S PA R K M A N
Located on a barrier island, this project is the transformation of a modest 1970s wood frame beach house into a contemporary home, with the addition of a concrete and wood bedroom and a pool overlooking the original structure. The owners’ two simple goals were to keep the existing residence, and to preserve the existing tree canopy and coastal landscape. To achieve this, the architects proposed to remove the bedroom wings on the east side of the existing home to make space for an elevated, code-compliant addition, and to form an entry courtyard between the new structure and the old home. The sloped roofs on the original house were removed and replaced with vegetated flat roof structures to create gardens as a foreground for the new addition. Floating above the courtyard is the new concrete pool, which was conceived as a “light fixture.” The pool allows sunlight to filter down to the ground level through openings in the concrete shell and reflect on the water feature at the ground level, emi ing light throughout the courtyard. Above the entry, swimming is revealed to residents and guests as they come and go, making visible from multiple vantage points the lure of a world surrounded by and immersed in water. The material pale e of cast-in-place concrete, teak siding and travertine stone cladding combines with the native coastal landscape and roof gardens to create a retreat that is a contemplative space in a tropical environment. These materials serve to bind the old with the new – to create a home that is informed by the past, anticipates the future, and most importantly, is a place to be present.
ADD-UP DSDG ARCHITECTS A 1950s ranch house on New Pass receives its third renovation. A 2009 renovation revamped the kitchen, living and garage areas, while incorporating a new library space, home office and roo op terrace. This 2023 addition adds generational living and bedroom space to the original three-bedroom home. A 1,000-square-foot addition is perched atop the high-ceilinged collector car garage. With minimal lot coverage to work with, only 100 square feet are added to the lot, as floor overhangs break up flat and minimalist facades. Building height was also restricted, granting ninefoot-tall ceilings on the addition area to fit above the collector car garage. To reduce the height of the garage, the second-floor addition features an exterior skirt to visually lower its elevation. This creates a balance between the old and new while contained within a classic frame, and aligns with the existing roof lines. Two bedrooms share a balcony off the front of the addition, while the living space generously opens to breathtaking views of New Pass and beyond. Access is granted from the 2009 addition’s garage foyer, where an old coat closet once belonged. While the front balcony is lowered to align, the rear balcony is intentionally li ed to float above the existing and previous addition. The exterior style is overall warmed with the addition of wood-look cladding to invigorate the existing starkness. The front entry was refreshed with a new glass pivot door, wood cladding and vegetation to create a livable, warm entry procession. Architect: DSDG Architects Contractor/Builder: SRQ Builders, LLC Bathroom: Kohler Carpets and Flooring: Sticks & Stones, Lux Flooring Landscape: Cri er Ridge Landscape Contractors Photographer: Ryan Gamma
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