Architecture

Architecture. . , Florida Vernacular , Characteristics of traditional Florida architecture are apparent in Clarence Rutland's home, built on Sanibel in 1913. The home is constructed of hard Florida pine and is raised on piers to prevent flooding. A covered porch, high ceilings, large windows and a wide central hallway capture breezes and expel heat. A galvanized metal roof, wider than the structure itself, provides protection from the sun and tropical rains. Gabled ends reinforce the roof for increased resistance to hurricane winds. , , The Walker Guest House , In 1952, seasonal Sanibel resident Dr. Walter Walker commissioned Paul Rudolph, an internationally renowned modernist architect, to design a guest house for Walker's West Gulf beach property. Built with off-the-shelf materials, it has all the elements of a traditional house reduced to a minimalist form. Hinged plywood walls may be opened and closed using rope and pulleys counterbalanced by red concrete balls. This design allowed residents to open the house to gulf breezes. In 2012, the Walker Guest House was voted the "top residential building in Florida" in a competition conducted by the Florida American Institute of Architects. , , Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church , Seasonal resident Gustel Kiewitt designed and oversaw construction of the church. He was widely known for his ability to design large unobstructed interior» spaces without supporting pillars. He employed the Lamella roof system, utilizing curved wooden ribs joined with platelets and bolts to support each other and form intersecting transverse arches. The resulting dramatic interior resembles the hull of an upside-down ship. Kiewitt's later work included the Houston Astrodome and New Orleans Superdome. , (captions) , The Rutland House, located at the Sanibel Historical Museum and Village , , Architect Paul Rudolph's Walker Guest House , , Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church