Infinity House
Infinity House is a ground-up family retreat on the Intracoastal Waterway of Boca Raton. The impressive size of the home is broken into five separate zones, allowing us to create a sense of retreat for all of the occupants and visitors. Additionally, the front and rear of the house are treated differently to react to site conditions – the front is surrounded by landscaping to shield it from the street while the rear is open to the waterway, allowing the interior and exterior to merge. Finally, due to the extreme Florida summer sun, a cantilevered shell integrates both solar shading and exterior living spaces with a single gesture.
MAXIMIZE VIEWS
The overall shape of the residence was conceived by
conceptually breaking the home into zones. Placing the dock, guest suites, utility, and garages in areas
that won't obstruct views allows the common spaces, primary bedroom wing, and family suites to sit in
locations that have the best views of the neighboring Intracoastal Waterway.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATION
The residence was then wrapped in a
“ribbon” of concrete which provides a flat roof for solar power, multiple green roofs, and overhangs that
are calibrated to keep the interiors cool by blocking the direct heat of the hot Florida sun.
GEOMETRY
The free, open floor plan is organized around a rigid grid
system that is bisected by a diagonal axis. This axis comes to an apex at an exterior seating area which
blurs the line between the home’s indoor and outdoor spaces. Above it, a cantilevered “floating” pool
becomes the defining feature from the perspective of the passing boaters.
The design and scale of the home is well captured in this film that beautifully demonstrates the consistency between interior and exterior spaces, as well as the home’s luxurious connection with nature.
Located on the active Intracoastal waterway in Boca Raton, Florida, the home was designed to maximize the flow between indoor and outdoor spaces that capture the stunning views and respond effectively to the local climate.
All paths of circulation throughout the home converge in the center of the L-shaped property, bringing both the family and their guests together in the home's shared spaces. The kitchen, sitting room, dining area, and patio space all come together alongside a stunning infinity pool and spectacular views. This flow is designed to encourage multiple gathering and entertaining zones within the large residence.
A neutral material palette of natural stone, cedar accents and white walls help create consistency as indoor and outdoor spaces flow together. This minimal interior palette allows the lush natural environment, which surrounds the home, to pop.
Finish materials, custom millwork, furnishings and art were all drawn and/or selected by our team. These selections add textural layers to the project, emphasizing programmatic organization and help contribute to the clean, minimal aesthetic.
Because of the home's large scale, the project has been compared to a modern boutique hotel design and the list of amenities certainly fits that description! The residence’s design includes four infinity pools, a yacht dock, a planted interior courtyard, a second-floor bar, and a modern art collection all designed and/or curated in-house by The Up Studio team.
The waterfront property hosts four (yes, four!) custom pools. While the guest wing and the primary bedroom
suite each have their own private pools, the main communal pool is located just outside of the home’s active
gathering spaces. The rounded infinity-edge pool sits at the corner of the property and seems to blend into
the inlet.
However, the pièce de résistance is the plunge pool that cantilevers from the balcony above. The second story
pool is wrapped in rounded aquarium glass that allows the family and their guests to see through the pool from
the private bar area. A ramped water feature allows water to slide down a dark surface, which naturally heats
the pool.
To accommodate our clients’ passion for entertaining, our team designed a private home bar that’s situated at the middle of the second-floor bedroom wings, which encourages gathering. The bar area overlooks the first-floor gathering spaces below and connects with the “floating” plunge pool.
On the waterfront side of the home, the upper floor is lined with family suites. Each unit has a stone-wrapped ensuite bathroom with custom floating vanities, walk-in closet and stackable sliding doors that lead them onto their private balcony overlooking the canal.
The main bedroom suite is one of the most remote areas of the residence and includes a home office, a luxurious bathroom, and an oversized dressing area with closet. The bathroom is flanked by two custom stone vanities and toilet rooms. A modern floating tub sits in the center of the honed travertine bathroom and two curbless showers sit beside floor-to-ceiling smart glass windows that fog for privacy with the flip of a switch.
By designing the architecture and interiors simultaneously, The Up Studio team was able to create uniformities in both form and materials. The consistent aesthetic creates a sense of balance throughout the exteriors and interiors of the large private residence.
The planted courtyard is the heart of the project and allows large palms, a key feature of the region, to be seen from every single space in the home. Additionally the central atrium provides a cross ventilation in the spring and fall.
Anchoring the entryway is an interior water feature which relates to the exterior pools in the rear of the property and provides pedestals for sculptures which are some of the most prized pieces of the family’s art collection (sculptures not shown)
While much of the home is designed to encourage communal gathering, there are also two more intimate living rooms that function as private lounge areas. These retreats provide the family and their guests a quiet space to tuck away and enjoy the views overlooking the planted, angled green roof.
The entry door is covered by a sloping planted green roof. The compressed entryway provides an additional feeling of grandeur as you move into the double-height interior space that is lined with glass at the rear of the home.
The home’s poured-in-place concrete massing is skinned with white stucco which establishes the primary tone and texture for all other elements, like the cedar walls and soffits, to play off of. The minimal exterior palette allows the plantings and the surrounding nature to shine.
