JUPITER ISLAND, FLORIDA
BRISBEN ESTATE
06 / 2003
The Brisben estate consists of a 10,000-square foot, two-story main residence and a 3,000-square foot, two-story guest house. Characterized by the Mediterranean Palm Beach vernacular of the 1920s, both structures feature clay tile roofs, precast window and door surrounds, precast cornices, friezes, and outlookers.
Beneath these elements, however, is the most unique design component: a building envelope that maximizes ceiling height while complying with Jupiter Island's extensive building codes for hurricane resistance. For most multistory island residences, the mandated 27' maximum building height results in severely limited ceiling heights. The Brisben estate, however, was designed in such a way that its 8" thick concrete roof reclaims volume typically lost to roof trusses, thus providing 10' and 13' ceiling heights in its main gathering spaces and allowing for unique ceiling designs in all interior rooms.