A concept developed as part of the HOME Competition organized by Arch Out Loud in 2019, this project conceives of the house as a catalyst for collective encounters.

Designed for a group of independent individuals who pool their resources to build a collective 1,550 ft2 /144m2 beach house in Florida, this type of co-habitation requires reconsideration of social structures that are typical in a single-family house.

An important function of the project is to provide for spaces that would be suitable for entertainment and thus the expansive roof deck is a natural starting point. By elevating it to the top of the house, complete unobstructed views surround the occupiable roof which is complete with a small garden, dining area and pool.

The entire structure is lifted above the ground to avoid rising sea levels, coastal erosion and allow nature to run uninterrupted below. The house volumes are suspended from the elevated roof plane and contain compact bedrooms, generous bathrooms, and communal living and kitchen area.

A central unifying outdoor stair bifurcates the house into two clusters, separating the intimate bedroom spaces at the rear of the house from the social kitchen and living spaces on the ocean side of the building. Two sets of bedrooms on every level each share a generous bathroom and a terrace space, encouraging casual encounters between the inhabitants.

As more people live alone, reconceiving the notion of a ‘family’ in a single-family home type to include a group of non-related individuals with shared value system expands the definition of a home to be more inclusive of our contemporary human associations.

Winner of Best Future House of the Year award by Global Design News and The Chicago Athenaeum, 2022

Honorable Mention in the HOME Competition organized by Arch Out Loud, 2019

Team: Daniel Markiewicz, Miroslava Brooks, Aaron Payne