Windsor North Village Newsletter - Summer 2024

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SUMMER 2024

INTRODUCTION Welcome to the inaugural issue of our newsletter dedicated to sharing news on the development of the North Village, Windsor’s final phase. Sited on 47 acres, the North Village is at once a seamless expansion of this beloved seaside community, and a fresh new vision for it. In this edition, we introduce you to the project’s landscape architect, Isaac Stein of Dept. Landscape Architecture and Urban Design, a design studio in Houston. We report on a fascinating study from celebrated ornithologist Dr. John Fitzpatrick detailing the existing birdlife on the North Village site.

We also share positive news on homesite sales and discuss the architectural design direction for the residences.

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MEET THE TEAM

NORTH VILL AGE HOMESITES

Landscape Design

Lot Sales Reach Sixty Percent Sellout

Windsor’s goal for the

From its beginning in the early 1990s, Windsor embraced

standard for sustainable luxury living with some of the most

North Village is to develop

the innovative New Urbanist mindset by creating walkable

innovative and trusted designers in the world, and we’re

a beautiful and welcoming

neighborhoods that connect to parks and community

thrilled by the strong sales success we’ve seen thus far.”

neighborhood that can serve

gathering spaces.

as home to native plants and wildlife as well as its residents.

A Design & Development team was assembled to create a landscape plan that

Residents of the North Village will enjoy Windsor’s brand

The result: A captivating seaside enclave with world-class

of privacy and seclusion, with myriad opportunities to

amenities, a strong sense of community – and a lower

view and interact with nature. Guided by well-respected

ecological footprint.

landscape and environmental design experts, Windsor is creating a complex habitat through wetland creation

engages all the senses, while preserving and enhancing

Just a few months after Windsor launched its final phase

the natural environment. Here, we talk with one

of development in the North Village, homesites already

member of the team, Isaac Stein of Dept. Landscape

have reached 60 percent sellout. Forward-thinking buyers

Architecture and Urban Design in Houston, Texas.

are moving expeditiously to acquire lots in this exclusive

Opportunities for outdoor activities will abound in the North

community that offers a rare combination of luxury

Village where residents can enjoy a kayak launch with direct

and sustainability.

lagoon access and a network of scenic paths including

Question: What was it about this project that was so compelling and why did you decide to join the Design

Development team after Alannah Weston and her team shared their Landscape Creative Brief with us. It highlighted many principles that aligned with our company’s mission. Our studio strives to work sensitively within social and ecological contexts and to work with natural forces rather than against them.

We believe that at any scale, design can improve ecological health; and from the outset, we felt that the

native wildlife to thrive.

boardwalks that extend out into an estuary and lake.

& Development team?

Answer: We were very excited to join the Design &

and native plant selection, which will allow birds and other

We’ve created a new standard

An impressive 12,620-square-foot Fitness and Wellness

for sustainable luxury living with

treatment rooms, relaxation spaces and a juice bar. To

some of the most innovative and trusted designers in the world...

Centre will provide a place to exercise as well as spa foster a connection with nature, fitness programming will extend outdoors.

Although Windsor itself is secluded, its setting within Vero Beach is ideal. Vero Beach is a gem along Florida’s

— Betsy Hanley

North Village project team was committed to reframing

unspoiled Treasure Coast, known for pristine beaches, wildlife sanctuaries, fashionable shopping districts, and top performing arts venues. What makes this coastal

development as a form of ecological stewardship and

“The North Village has resonated with buyers looking for a

city especially appealing is its easy-going, family friendly

willing to put in the effort to think holistically about

quiet coastal experience who also prioritize and practice

attitude. Instead of intrusive high-rise condos dominating

how to construct a living landscape.

an environmentally friendly lifestyle in their everyday lives,”

the landscape, Vero’s quaint downtown features breezy

said Betsy Hanley, CEO and President of Torwest, Inc., and

palm trees and low-slung historic buildings just steps

President of Windsor Real Estate, Inc. “We’ve created a new

from the ocean.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

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NORTH VILLAGE NEWS

1 1. Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge

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2. Observation Tower 3. Jungle Trail 4. Indian River Lagoon 5. Kayak Launch

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6. Kayak Storage 7. Estuary 8. Oak Pantheon

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9. Estuary Island

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10. Weir 11. Lake Island 12. Lake

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13. Park

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14. Lake Deck 15. Row Houses

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16. Village Green 17. Fitness & Wellness Centre 18. Outside of Windsor

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14 15 6

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SUMMER 2024

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CONTEMPORARY REFINEMENTS A Subtle Evolution of Windsor’s Iconic Architectural Style

Windsor captured the attention of the building and design

The thoughtfully designed plan did indeed foster a close-

DPZ CoDesign’s Xavier Iglesias, who served as project

world early on when it eschewed the conventional Florida

knit community, which applauds Windsor for its enchanting

manager on Windsor’s original plan, has joined the

golf course development model in favor of New Urbanist

seaside setting, characteristic Anglo-Caribbean

design team for the North Village, which will complete the

ideas that emphasize environmental stewardship and

architecture, and exceptional sporting amenities.

aspirational vision of Windsor co-founders W. Galen and

connectivity. Andrés Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk of DPZ CoDesign, pioneers of the movement, helped Windsor create environmentally sensitive, pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods with well-connected green spaces and public gathering venues that promote human interaction.

Within the 472-acre community are a diverse array of award-winning homes situated in the main village, along the Atlantic coastline, and overlooking the fairways of a magnificent 18-hole championship golf course.

Hilary M. Weston. As Windsor launches its final phase of development, daughter Alannah Weston offers a fresh eye, with calls for an even greater commitment to sustainability.

Development of the 47-acre tract, adjacent to the Indian River Lagoon, will build on the exceptional master plan and timeless architectural aesthetic established more than three decades ago. But even as it becomes a harmonious expansion of Windsor, the North Village will be distinctive.

Nature will enjoy a starring role in the North Village.

Windsor is receiving guidance from a top-notch team of experts who focus on ecologically sensitive landscape design including Dept., a landscape design studio based in Houston, leading nature-based landscape designer Edwina von Gal, and land conservation expert Beth Dowdle.

Also on the development team is Chicago-based Farr Associates, a leading architecture and urban design firm in the sustainability movement.

The team’s ambitious plan is to create a neighborhood in harmony with the natural environment by integrating green spaces, protecting wildlife, and employing innovative building ideas.

A mix of 34 single-family residences and six Row Houses, along with new amenities, will be built to take advantage of calming water views of an estuary and lake. To lower their

Conceptual Rendering

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environmental impact, homes will be required to achieve

NORTH VILLAGE NEWS

signature features including balconies, shutters, steeply

from community space. Homes can be one or two stories,

pitched roofs, and deep eaves with exposed rafter tails. As

with courtyards like those seen in Windsor’s existing

in the rest of Windsor, houses will be built with a single-room

neighborhoods. In the North Village, buyers will have the

depth to allow cross ventilation and abundant natural light.

opportunity to include roof terraces in their home design.

But the code has been modified to encourage a more

Windows, balconies, porches, and loggias facing the

pared-down aesthetic with enhanced eco-friendly

street or waterfront are encouraged for their aesthetic

considerations. The requisite light, earthy color palette

value, nature views and interaction with the community.

will blend respectfully into the natural landscape. Homes

Privacy will be protected by strategic placement of these

will feature narrower columns on loggias, porches, and

building elements. Shutters are required in some areas for

verandas. Simplicity of form is the guiding principle for all

privacy purposes and encouraged in other places for their

building accessories such as exterior lighting.

architectural interest as well as to help with the regulation

To achieve a low environmental impact, homes in the North Village are required to use all-electric indoor appliances

Residents in the North Village are encouraged to capitalize

and an efficient water heating and delivery system such

on breathtaking views of lakes, parks and the Indian River

as a heat pump. The use of porches, trellises, shutters and

Lagoon as well as the Pelican Island National Refuge by

mature landscaping is mandatory for shading windows that

building third-story towers or belvederes on the street side.

face the east, south and west.

Conceptual Rendering

of sun exposure.

Poised to serve as a model for sustainable luxury living,

Sustainable practices that are encouraged include the use

the North Village already has piqued the interest of home

of timber construction materials, which can be sourced

buyers looking to the future. With this final phase of the co-

from responsibly managed forests, and the use of coatings

founders’ vision, Windsor hopes to prove development can

and finishes with low volatile organic compounds that emit

take into consideration the needs of today’s homeowners,

fewer harmful chemicals.

the natural environment – and future generations.

certification through the Passive House Institute US (Phius), which promotes high-performance building practices for energy efficiency and homeowner comfort.

Residents in the North Village will be approved to build permanent screened porches on the home’s side and rear facades, and to install solar shingles.

Homes in the North Village will be no less luxurious, beautiful, or private than other Windsor homes, but they will be somewhat more contemporary. The architectural code will honor Windsor’s Anglo-Caribbean heritage by retaining

SUMMER 2024

Each lot in the North Village will feature attractive fourfoot-high coquina rock garden walls along the street and lake boundaries to define and separate private space

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NATURE AT THE FORE Revered Ornithologist Dr. John Fitzpatrick Surveys the North Village

Prior to beginning construction of the North Village,

Dr. Fitzpatrick employed a preferred technique for

Windsor tasked world-renowned ornithologist

conducting bird surveys in woodland habitats of North

Dr. John Fitzpatrick, former Director of the Cornell Lab

America. Using a portable speaker, he broadcast a loud

of Ornithology, with conducting a survey of the birds

audio recording known to elicit close approaches by

occupying the 47-acre tract of land.

most North American species of songbirds, woodpeckers,

As Windsor embarks on its final phase of development, the survey will help the community realize its vision of

and flycatchers. He detected a total of 81 resident and migratory species of birds over the course of his ten visits.

integrating comfortable, beautiful and energy-efficient

He observed a few species including the Bald Eagle and

homes into the natural environment by enhancing rather

Red-tailed Hawk, that are local Florida residents unlikely to

than disrupting the ecological balance.

breed on the North Village grounds, but could occasionally

The North Village landscape is of considerable ecological

visit, perch, and even capture prey there.

significance. It bridges a transition between the

The survey provides Windsor with vital knowledge about

thoughtfully landscaped residential village of Windsor to

which birds are likely to use the property. Many of the

the south and the extraordinarily significant, permanently

wading birds such as herons, egrets, ibis, and stork, for

protected habitats of the 5,400-acre Pelican Island

example, could easily become frequent users of the lakes

National Wildlife Refuge to the north.

and estuarine habitats that are already indicated in the

Successfully achieving that delicate balance where

landscaping plans for the North Village, Fitzpatrick noted.

architecture and nature coexist in harmony is an ambitious – even bold – real estate project.

Dr. Fitzpatrick’s bird survey will allow Windsor an opportunity to measure the success of its vision by replicating studies conducted at various intervals after the project is complete.

The baseline survey, conducted this year between February 27 to May 11, reported on bird species that “winter” in the region as well as those migrating during spring, plus the many resident birds that breed here.

Dr. John Fitzpatrick

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NORTH VILLAGE NEWS

“Windsor’s goal is to attract significantly more species of

levels. The primary function of the free app is to provide a

birds to the site, perhaps including wintering waterfowl,

platform for users to record and submit their bird sightings

shorebirds, kingfishers, and other species attracted by the

for conservation research. Although launched in the U.S. in

addition of landscaped water features,” Fitzpatrick said.

2002, eBird now has a significant global impact with data

To protect the natural landscape and its occupying wildlife,

collected from countries all over the earth.

the architecture and overall landscaping in the North

The app serves as the world’s largest biodiversity-related

Village will be developed with a focus on sustainability. The

citizen-science project. Fitzpatrick says eBird now acts as

plan is to incorporate natural areas, a lake, and an estuary.

“a real-time monitor of ecosystem health around the world.”

Many of the native oak trees and cabbage palms will be

Dr. Fitzpatrick discussed the importance of the eBird data

relocated on the property, which Dr. Fitzpatrick says bodes

collected and what birds can tell us about the ecological

well for the future of the North Village as a bird haven.

health of the planet during an eye-opening presentation in

To allow residents to interact with nature, Windsor is incorporating multipurpose trails and boardwalks, a wildlife observation deck, and a kayak launch.

2023 at Windsor’s Town Hall. He is planning on returning to Windsor in the fall and winter to conduct two bird walks with the Windsor Membership’s burgeoning group of Birders.

Dr. Fitzpatrick’s expertise will help ensure Windsor completes its mission to enable residents of the North Village to live in harmony with nature. He has held top positions at the Field Museum of Chicago and the Archbold Biological Station near Lake Placid, Florida, and has earned numerous honors during his career. Most recently, Dr. Fitzpatrick received the James Madison Medal from Princeton University, where he earned his doctorate in 1978, in recognition of his extraordinary contributions to ornithology.

He spent 26 years as executive director of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and just recently retired as professor in Cornell’s department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.

While there, he helped develop the eBird app, which has become an indispensable tool for birdwatchers at all

SUMMER 2024

Pileated Woodpecker

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MEET THE TEAM Landscape Design (Continued)

Q: Tell us about the landscape plan for the North Village.

A: The North Village is a nearly 50-acre development with more than three-fourths of this space reserved for landscape and open space. Nearly 10 acres of the North Village will be dedicated to aquatic habitat and 26.5 acres will be reserved for parks, native hammocks, marshes and tree islands. All 34 homesites will have long views over the two new water bodies: the lake to the east and the estuary on the west.

North Village. This includes a variety of amenities and

A: We are working with Edwina von Gal and Perfect Earth

walking trails through the landscape. Some highlights

Project on establishing sustainability goals in the project

include ample walking trails, a boathouse for kayaks with

and are in discussions with the Windsor team on a broader

access to the Lagoon, an observation tower that perches

Land Care Management Plan for the North Village and

above the tree canopy, a 3-acre park, an island for public

Windsor at large. Our goal in the Design team is to have

art, a clearing in the wood for a community fireplace, a

the principles that Alannah put forth in the North Village

gentle waterfall that connects the lake to the estuary, and

translated throughout the Windsor community.

several overlooks and meandering boardwalks. In addition, a 12,620-square-foot Fitness and Wellness Centre will be located at the southern end of the North Village.

The North Village will be a beautiful, curated landscape that will be a contribution to the environment. All rain that falls in the North Village will flow through planted

Q: What changes do you expect to see in the North Village’s ecology in five years?

landscape areas that will filter stormwater as it is directed

A: Over the next five years we expect to see rapid growth

to the lake. This filtered water will then flow into the

in diversity in the flora and fauna of the North Village. With

estuary before flowing out to the Indian River Lagoon,

the addition of 80-plus native species of trees, palms, and

leaving the North Village cleaner than it arrived. This

understory plants, we are creating habitat and food to

naturally filtered water will support the health of the

attract more permanent and migratory birds that travel

seagrasses in the Indian River Lagoon, the main food

up and down the Indian River Lagoon, the largest lagoon

source for Florida’s threatened manatee population.

in North America. We hope to visit in a few years and see

Q: You have been involved in designing the various walkways and outdoor amenities. Can you give us a preview of what is planned?

A: Our company, Dept. Landscape Architecture and Urban Design, is designing the public outdoor space in the

our own favorite bird, the Roseate Spoonbill wading in the estuary.

Q: Are there plans to introduce some of what is being planned in the North Village into the existing Windsor community?

Roseate Spoonbill

All information contained in this newsletter, including renderings and the configuration, elevation, and size of lots, lakes, common areas and roads, reflect preliminary plans only, are not to scale and are subject to change during the final design and permitting process, and should not be relied upon as representation, express or implied, of final detail. The developer expressly reserves the right to make modifications, revisions and changes which it deems desirable in its sole and absolute discretion.

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WindsorFlorida.com

NORTH VILLAGE NEWS