SRQ Magazine Home of the Year Award 2022

The annual SRQ Magazine Home of the Year Competition invites local architects, builders, interior designers and landscape artists to present us with new notions of home environments by submitting their recent residential projects. Trop Architecture was the recipient of three Awards in the 2022 competition.

View the award issue here >

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

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.

SRQ Magazine Home of the Year 2022
Gold – Best Kitchen

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.

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

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.