Bay House
The Bay House is a 4,420 sq.ft. single family residence located along the bay waters of Santa Rosa Beach, Florida.
Located on the banks of Choctawhatchee Bay along the Emerald Coast of Florida, this permanent residence sits among the 100-year-old Southern Live Oaks that have long called this place home. While the family has owned the property for many years, they decided to remove an existing structure that had been weathered and worn by numerous storms and hurricanes, which ultimately led to structural and exterior issues that had moved it beyond the logical point of saving. The new residence reflects the family’s palpable connection to the bay, which became a cornerstone of the design of The Bay House. The orientation of the house is critical to its overall energy efficiency. By locating windows below the sweeping canopies of the large Southern Live Oaks, elongating overhangs above south and west exposed fenestrations helps lower cooling costs during the hot summers and opening up large expanses of insulated glass to the north allowing indirect sun light to greatly decrease the need for artificial lighting during daylight hours. Beginning to understand who our clients were and their love for the bay, we sought to explore the mathematics of water and how it could influence the design of the house. Not simply as it related to itself, but as water relates to a boat traveling upon it. Our journey down this path led us to a study by the US Navy and the effects that waves have on the hull and structure of a boat. Upon comprehension, we allowed this wave theory to speak into and influence the geometries and forms of the roof structure and planes, creating a wholistic organizational language.