The Evergreen — 1691 Palm Ave., Winter Park Architect: Phil Kean, Phil Kean Designs

RESIDENTIAL
Going for the Gold

A little over a year ago, Phil Kean decided he wanted to design a LEED-certified house.

Architect Phil Kean

In an urban neighborhood, he found a lot where the house had been destroyed by a hurricane. He recycled as much material as possible from the former home. Drywall is made of recycled content; flooring is either stained cement or bamboo; a type of quartz, typically considered waste at the quarry, was used for architectural detail on an interior wall; and countertops throughout were made from recycled materials.

The 3,000-sq.-ft. home has an open floor plan maximizing usable space with several rooms opening to the outdoors and a roof-top garden. Its orientation on the lot takes advantage of natural light, and large overhangs provide shade and shelter. A rainwater collection system and native and drought-tolerant plants provide environmentally friendly landscaping solutions.

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Parc24 — Vero Beach Office Campus Architect: Scott Merrill, Merrill Pastor & Colgan

COMMERCIAL
Focus on Efficiency

For Scott Merrill, design is all about creating community and efficiently using land.

His challenges at a Vero project are two-fold: First, how to transition an underused suburban site into a more urban use that will spur development. Second, the design had to address the city’s strict height restrictions, as well as requirements on square footage, green space and parking. In fact, when construction is completed next year, the city will end up with more green space than expected. A lot of thought was given to the routes from the car to the desk and the views looking out toward gardens and walkways.