A True Floridian Home

An architectural firm designs a true Floridian home for two retirees and creates an enduring escape, despite hurricane restrictions.

- By Autumn Krause

Perched on the north branch of the Loxahatchee River is an eye-catching home that cuts a stunning silhouette from afar and reveals more and more charm the closer you get. It is a new build in Tequesta, Florida, and was commissioned by retirees Peter and Ellen Cordrey. It’s a study in composition and integration with the landscape and climate. With an inner courtyard and sightlines to the water accounted for in every space, it is a true masterpiece and is the collaborative brainchild of the homeowners and Peter D. Moor (founding partner) and Chris Baker (partner) of Moor, Baker & Associates Architects, P.A.

“We wanted a home that’s peaceful, well-designed and crafty but not complicated,” homeowner Peter C. says. “Moor, Baker & Associates Architects was a great fit because their aesthetic spoke to us.” For their part, the architects loved creating a subtropical version of a vernacular home, one that’s durable for Florida’s hurricane-prone climate yet full of personalized details and staggering elegance. As Chris says, “We love that the knowledge of good proportions, symmetry and a careful selection of materials that improve with age in our harsh coastal climate elevate this home beyond the cost to build it.”

Design Mind. Outdoor spaces need just as much intentionality as those indoors. Here are Chris and Pieter M.’s top five tips for designing in the great outdoors.

1. INNER CONNECTION. The house is just another object in the garden. “Look for ways to connect your house geometries with the surrounding geometries found in nature,” Chris says. “For example, we often echo the angle of the river in our pool edges.”