Architectural Services

TROP Architecture is a full-service architecture and interior design firm. We offer turn-key services ranging from site selection all of the way through construction administration and furniture procurement.  Our projects focus on residential renovations,  new construction as well as boutique commercial spaces. Our specialties include coastal construction and urban revitalization. We have created close relationships with local general contractors, consultants, and trades to ensure the best team for our clients.

 

Architectural Process

At project inception, exploring the existing site characteristics creates the foundation for exceptional design. The neighborhood, trees, wind paths, and sun patterns drive the development for initial massing diagrams. We work closely with you on a program questionnaire to understand your lifestyle to lay the ground work for adjacencies, sizes of rooms and overall square footage.  We provide concept design imagery to help you understand the overall aesthetics of the home and create 3d massing models with sun studies. The building envelope and structural systems also start to develop in these initial stages.

In design development we begin to produce the overall site plan, floor plans and roof plan along with exterior elevations.  We start to develop interior and exterior finishes.  We also begin to design cabinetry, furniture and lighting layouts.   It is at this time that we typically engage with a general contractor to start initial pricing of the plans.

Finally, we move into construction documentation.  We combine all of the above information and compose final detailed drawings and specifications to be used in permitting and for final construction.

Press & Awards

Step Inside A Modern, Tropical Florida Home That Plays Up Its Views

On the southwest Florida island of Bird Key, general contractor Edward Goldfarb and his wife, Elizabeth, found an idyllic spot to build their new house. The breezy lot, situated on Sarasota Bay, would afford enough space for a pool and boat dock without disturbing the water views. Remarkably, it also fulfilled a special desire on their wish list: southwesterly exposure, which would allow the couple to witness Sarasota’s captivating sunsets right from home.

For Goldfarb—who typically oversees the construction of his personal residences—and Elizabeth, this was an opportunity to pursue something edgier than their previous homes. “We wanted a warm feel but with a modern look,” he describes. Without hesitation, they turned to a frequent collaborator, architect Steffani Drass, and stipulated only a few conditions for their next project together: The house should have four bedrooms with en suite bathrooms and be no larger than 5,000 square feet. Beyond that, she had carte blanche to interpret the modern, tropical resort style the pair desired. “We trusted her so much,” Goldfarb says. “It’s important to let the architect execute their trade, because that’s how you get a great result.”

Like her clients, Drass considers the outdoors her “happy place”—a notion reflected in her projects, which are finely attuned to their landscapes. “It’s important to blur the lines between the built environment and nature,” she says. “People feel most comfortable when they’re connected to those things.” In this case, working with residential designer Jose Suarez and builder Sam Cosentino, the architect fostered this connection in an unexpected way: She raised the structure 12 feet off the ground. “We over-elevated the house to accommodate garages beneath,” she explains, “but it also provided a more dramatic view of the bay.” Furthermore, the lift grants direct access from the street entrance to the water—without needing to enter the residence—via a pathway that leads to an open-air courtyard underneath the house. There, landscape designer Tim Borden installed foliage including Macarthur palms, variegated peperomia and aechmea bromeliads. Surrounding plants on the property, such as coconut and Montgomery palms and an existing mature tabebuia tree, ensure the dwelling does not feel detached from the land despite its height. “We wanted to use elements that would ground the home and the architecture,” Borden says, “so we began with heavy, tall plantings and then added in more delicate ones.”

Inside, to draw in as much natural light as possible—at least two façades in every room— Drass’ team conducted sun studies on the property. “We do them to understand where the sun rises and sets and how deep we need to make projections off the house to block direct glare,” she explains. The findings helped to ensure optimal positioning of rooms, including opening the main living space to all four directions. They also prompted one of the residence’s most prominent features: seven terraces, including one for each bedroom, practically doubling the living space. Cantilevered overhangs help moderate temperatures when enjoying the outdoor areas. But it’s the views of the water, easy to see from anywhere in the house, that might be the abode’s greatest asset. “When you’re inside, you feel like you’re outside, thanks to the floor-to-ceiling glass,” the architect says, pointing to the spans in the main living area. The dwelling’s flat roof also offers a unique perspective, serving as a high viewpoint from which to experience those desirable sunsets.

Like the home’s architecture, its streamlined material palette is closely related to its environment. “Everything is meant to look like it came straight out of nature,” Drass notes. Fossilized shellstone limestone clads chimneys and terrace floors, while board-formed concrete— which gives the impression of wood—covers parts of the exterior. Then there is grooved Cypress, extending from the exterior soffits into the interior ceilings, particularly noticeable in the living area. “All the materials you see on the outside are used inside for seamless continuity so the line becomes blurred,” the architect says. Even the interior design—a medley of wood finishes, clean-lined furnishings and a neutral color palette with hints of black—which was orchestrated by Drass and Elizabeth, was kept purposely minimal to not only blend in with the outdoors but also accentuate it. “The art is the landscape, sky and sea,” the architect muses. “When you keep everything subtle, the surrounding place becomes much more vibrant.”

SRQ Magazine Home of the Year 2022
Gold – Best Overall Home

Water’s Edge

The connection to the surrounding natural elements was the driving force for the design of this modern home. Located in a quiet neighborhood, the home focuses on the open sky and sea and creates a calming, tropical oasis. The home is situated on a triangular shaped lot with over 200 linear feet of southwesterly facing bay frontage overlooking Big Pass, Lido Key and Otter Key. The living space of the home is elevated as a result of being in the Coastal V-zone. A gated walk-through at ground level prominently serves as the front door to the home. As you pass through the pedestrian gate you are greeted with a vibrant garden courtyard that leads through to the bay beyond and also to the main outdoor staircase. The main living area is spacious and comprised of the living room, kitchen and dining spaces. This main living area is surrounded by natural, indirect light on all four sides. Strategic windows and forty feet of sliding glass door openings provide an expansive overlook to the dynamic bay views and swaying palms. Every room in the home parallels the water’s edge and has an adjoining covered terrace to enjoy the yearlong tranquil breezes.

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SRQ Magazine Home of the Year 2022
Gold – Best Kitchen

Water’s Edge

The kitchen is anchored as the central node and hub of the home. The outdoor grill and covered dining terrace are a direct extension of the kitchen through a 15-foot wide sliding glass door opening. Subzero appliances are hidden behind cabinetry panels. Recessed pulls integrated into the burnished brass and painted cabinetry lend minimalist lines. The colors used in the kitchen were inspired by the Dolce Vita quartzite backsplash. The backsplash anchors a long steel shelf for the everyday cook’s items. The kitchen island includes a blackened oak slab that cantilevers out to provide seating for six. Five lava stone pendants hang above the seating area.

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SRQ Magazine Home of the Year 2022
Platinum – Best Landscape | Outdoor

Water’s Edge

As you enter the property, you are greeted with multiple layers of green on green landscaping of unique specimens. The driveway serves a dual purpose as its dimensions are laid out to transform into a regulation sized pickle ball court when needed. A pedestrian gate is located at grade and centered in the mass of the home, welcoming visitors into a secluded courtyard. The suspended bridge above the entry courtyard holds the main foyer, but also provides ample shade to the garden below. The home’s main axes of floor plan and pool lay out parallel to the water’s edge. Along this main axis are seven covered, outdoor terraces. At the ground level, two hanging daybeds overlook the pool area and are surrounded by shellstone planters filled with palms, cascading ice plant, philodendrons and several types of bromeliads. The pool is designed for laps, but also holds a long bench seat on one side and a sun shelf for chaises at the far end. A wood deck platform is framed flush between the pool and spa shell stone coping to allow walking space between the two. A fire pit with built-in seating is a great gathering spot for cool nights. A large Tabebuia tree, the City of Sarasota’s designated tree, existed when the property was purchased and is home to a protective Osprey. This tree along with the coconut palms lend privacy from passing boaters, but also movement and connection to nature at the home’s elevated height. A spiral staircase leads from the pool gardens up to the main terraces to allow for easy outdoor entertainment and connection between the different terraces.