Meridian Residences | Claudia Busch

The new single-family residence is located on the east side of Meridian Avenue directly across Miami Beach’s Golf Club on a quiet section, north of Dade Boulevard. The ground ­floor is designed with a large garden, pool, terrace, car-porch and an entrance foyer. The residential program develops on the second fl­oor. There are three main reasons why the strategy of elevating the house has been adopted: 1- to maximize the direct views to the golf course. Locating the house on an elevated floor allows uninterrupted views of the greens and fairways across the street creating the impression that the site is a continuation of the Golf Club. 2- To maximize natural ventilation and cooling, 3- to align the design with Florida’s vernacular architecture from which it draws inspiration, in particular, the Sarasota Modern with its attention to climate and terrain. Large sunshades, oversized sliding glass doors, ­floating staircases, generous balconies and overhangs, and the use of local materials are some of the features that through a contemporary interpretation tie the residence to our regional traditions. Elevating the residential program provides an opportunity to design a continuous garden experience planned with terraces, lush vegetation and water features that develop partly under cover.