We’ve shown you many ways Terrazzo can improve your interior and exterior surfaces, but now let’s look at Sarasota’s architectural patrimony. The Sarasota School of Architecture has been the source of groundbreaking structural designs using terrazzo, cypress, and other materials. Check out these famous, ornate, and groundbreaking classic homes in the Sarasota area.
Umbrella House
The Umbrella House, designed in the 1950s by Paul Rudolph, is pretty well known in Lido Shores as the archetype for nice homes in that area. Architectural Digest calls it “one of the most remarkable homes of the 20th century.”
They designed the Umbrella House to maximize ambient lighting in the home. While not a large home (only about 1,500 sq. ft.), its rectangular shape with extensive window coverage was incredibly novel at the time. Now, it serves as a model for residential development throughout the state.
Why do they call it the “Umbrella House”? That’s because it has a large slatted pergola that extends all the way across the house, patio, and swimming pool, providing lots of shade. This was crucial for protecting beach lovers from continuous sun exposure. Intra-State Terrazzo & Concrete proudly installed the shellcrete on the pool deck and the front walkway.
Cocoon House
How about the Cocoon House? This was another Paul Rudolph inspiration, also known as the Healy Guest House for Mr. and Mrs. W.R. Healy. It’s an even smaller house (735 sq. ft.) with a novel curved roof shaped almost like a cocoon.
The roof itself has an interesting material composition. They made it from saran vinyl, the same substance in saran wrap, which is also what the Navy was using to protect ships from storm damage. The use of industrial-strength saran wrap roofing landed this home the recognition as “Home of the Year” by the American Institute of Architects in 1949.
Revere Quality House
The Revere Quality House exemplified the use of copper material for homes. This home was the product of the Revere Copper and Brass Company, makers of copper pots and pans. The main objective of these homes was to facilitate sturdy and reliable housing for WWII veterans. It’s a relatively simple architectural design: concrete, glass, linear, and one story high.
They built it in 1948 and it received a full restored in 2004. The restoration process included redoing the floors with Terrazzo, inserting wall dividers, and other upgrades. The Revere Quality House and others on this list were part of the mid-20th century architectural boom in Sarasota, which still influences real estate along Florida’s western beach areas to this day.
Architecture and home design are some of our favorite topics at Intrastate Terrazzo. We know beautiful homes are one of the main reasons people flock to Sarasota from all over the country. That’s why we dedicate our superior terrazzo craftsmanship to continuing our community’s patrimony of building and architecture. If you’d like to learn more about our installation services, call us at 941-758-3104.