Working within the “New Urban” architectural lexicon of the Windsor development in Vero Beach, Florida, we designed a vacation house for DC clients that’s centered around a rear courtyard and pool. Because the development favors common garden space over private, the residential lots are small and tightly packed together around inner courtyards.

Windsor’s zoning guidelines requires all houses to have the same setbacks, which allow for wide, palm-tree lined boulevards. Our design also had to evoke a Mediterranean feel, and feature second-floor porches on the façade. We didn’t have a lot of wiggle room, in other words, so we used light and layout to fulfill our clients’ wishes for a sun-soaked, relaxed vacation feel.

The house deliberately “catches” the southern sun through the tall windows and open stair hall on the street side so it shines into the great room. The outdoor living and dining rooms, each with their own fireplaces, radiate from the pool in back, while the courtyard terrace visually connects the main house to the guesthouse.