Waterfront residences on the Gulf of Mexico needed a design sensitive to the environment.

Careful and innovative design characterizes Windrush III, a waterfront residential community, designed by John Rahenkamp Consultants, in Tarpon Springs (Pinellas County), Florida. The narrow, 11.2-acre tract accommodates 78 units that enjoy full access to an integrated recreational package on a sensitive gulffront site. The project was designed to simultaneously satisfy the demands of developer, homeowner and the environment.

The Objective

The marketing goal was to generate a design with significant appeal to prospective homebuyers and to encourage the development of a strong sense of community over time, while respecting and enhancing the environment. To achieve this goal, two primary objectives guided the planning and design process:

– Optimize views to the Gulf of Mexico and nearby parks

– Provide substantial amenity to all units, especially those without direct Gulf access

The resulting product was a first-floor apartment or “villa” with a two-story “townhouse above. In this manner, two “gulf-front” units were marketed in the space normally occupied by one. Where potential flood elevations were prohibiting, the townhouses were designed with parking beneath instead of villas.

The Solution

The second objective of the plan – providing amenity for non-gulf-front units – was accomplished in three ways. First, the siting of “patio homes” landward of the villas/townhouses by the Landscape Architect was done to create informal clusters of units among the mature pines and live oaks only after thorough vegetative studies. These trees helped tremendously to give the project ambience and prevent both a boring linear arrangement and that “just built” look. Second, free and easy access was provided to the gulf-front amenity package?EUR??,,????'????EUR??,,????'???the swimming pool and cabana, picnic area, gazebo and an extensive strolling path and boardwalk at the water edge. Third, adjoining development both north and south of this area was buffered and the road to the gulf-front area was substantially depressed to minimize its adverse impact.

The Effect

Working in response to the marketing data, the natural characteristics of the site and the constraints of surrounding development, a scheme was developed that synthesized the benefits of the site’s natural features, overcame the limitations of the surrounding land uses and produced substantial amenity for all the residents of Windrush. An exceptional response has been received from neighbors, local environmentalists, the city and the new residents who communally share this little piece of the Gulf.

Congratulations to John Rahenkamp Consultants, Inc., of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for their outstanding work on this project.

The landscape of the month is produced by LASN and sponsored by Nightscaping, who donates $50.00 to the Landscape Architectural Foundation for each featured project. Please contact LASN editorial staff before submitting materials for consideration.