Currently, I am designing a hotel in Sarasota and much of the inspiration for the design comes from something called the “Sarasota School of Architecture” style. It’s a movement- well, less a formal movement- than a few like-minded architects led by a young Paul Rudolph, designing mostly houses in Sarasota in 1940s. Think Bauhaus style that was adapted to the climate of West Florida and you get Sarasota Modern. Anyway, on my last site visit, I had the pleasure of getting a private tour of one of Paul Rudolph’s famous houses, the Umbrella House. The house was been recently restored to its former glory by an architecture enthusiast from New York. For years the house was missing its key feature- the umbrella roof. But now- thankfully- with this element rebuilt, the original concept for the house is clear for all to understand and appreciate.

To learn more about this house and to see a video of thehouse, please visit the Sarasota Architecture Foundation at http://sarasotaarchitecturalfoundation.org/.