Balber Architecture, Inc.

Jan 2016

GROSS SQUARE FOOTAGE: + 10,600 sf STATUS: Completed LOCATION: Tampa, Florida INTERESTING FEATURES: Mediterranean architectural themes are seen everywhere in this impressive yet very casual home. The half-round Spanish arches are seen throughout the interior and exterior and really tie the building together. They define spaces along the rear lanai via a colonnade, they define the main entry, and they even turn to glass on the wall of the office. This idea was born when the building was being built and the client saw what a spectacular water view the office had and how the wall dividing his office to the game room was going to hinder the view…so we decided to bring in arches and treat them like interior windows. This allowed us to share the view with people in the game room while giving the office audible privacy. A major design impetus for this three-story structure was born out of adhering to strict code guidelines set forth from FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Act) as well as a definitive program set forth by the clients. This home boasts: a large parking area for level one where up to eight cars can fit comfortably, a large central great room with its main axis running from the entry garden all the way to the open Tampa Bay beyond, cascading mezzanine levels, a pool designed in such as way as to give the effect that the house is actually resting on top of a plinth (the “boulders” of the pool run right up to the building and contain water-slides accessible from different levels of the home), several exterior stairways, an elevator, and many other spectacular elements. This home was designed to be grand enough to impress, but low-key enough to make people feel at home. The underlying theme of this home was to make it so wonderful that when the clients’ extended family came to visit they would never want to leave. This home has flowing spaces large enough for over 100 people while maintaining more intimate spaces for 10 people or less all the way down to the entry garden that is meant for only a few people to enjoy. The owners throw a lot of parties and love to entertain so it was important to have spaces for varied group sizes. The rear of the house is particularly great for parties…especially later in the afternoon. The rear of the house faces due west to allow for unworldly sunsets that can be enjoyed from varied heights along the cascading porch levels. One of the most interesting things about this particular design is how the water just hits you as soon as you open the front doors. All you see is water beyond the great room through 8′ Nana walls that fold up accordion- style to allow for a completely open void in the wall…it is as though they disappear when they’re open. Since the main level is elevated roughly 12′ off the ground, it appears as though the house is actually sitting directly on the water. The kitchen eating area truly feels as though the building is literally built on the water. *This home was ranked the 7th most expensive home in Tampa in 2016.

$5.5m

Tampa, FL

Jan 2015

GROSS SQUARE FOOTAGE: 7,381 sf STATUS: Completed LOCATION: Tampa, Florida INTERESTING FEATURES: This is a clean-lined modern home on a “finger” of Old Tampa Bay. This house was inspired by mid-century modern architecture…to a point. The problem is that the clients wanted a 2-story home where mid-century modern homes tend to be one-story buildings. The fact that it is 2-stories in height right off the bat will make it deviate from the architectural vocabulary typically associated with mid-century modern design, however the home does take a few cues from that aesthetic. The house appears mysterious from the street in that it will be hard to tell how many stories there are, how the spaces are used, and how the roof works…but as one will view the home from the water it will reveal itself via large floor-to-ceiling glass walls, cascading infinity edge pool that starts over 4′ off the ground, and an exterior, two-story spiral staircase that will take people from poolside all the way to the roof top terrace. The double height foyer has cantilevered stairs that appear to hang off he walls with open risers and the men’s den area opens to the theater room via an interior glass and steel garage door. This house has nonstop “wow” factors around every turn including blue glass windows and a pool that is integrated into the building itself. This highly modern home was a joy to design.

$3m

Tampa, FL

Apr 2014

GROSS SQUARE FOOTAGE: 5,994 sf STATUS: Completed LOCATION: Tampa, Florida INTERESTING FEATURES: The main theme of this modern home was that it would be aesthetically transitional…meaning it would be more modern than a traditional/beachy/Spanish-Mediterranean or bungalow, but also far less edgy than a home that was designed in the architectural vocabulary of a Streamline Moderne or say a “brutalist” home might be. We wanted this home to have straight lines yet also be warm and welcoming. This home consists of 6 walkable levels with the external massing of a typical split-level home. The home’s elevator stops at 5 of these levels while gaining access to the uppermost roof is via a small set of stairs. Levels two, three, four, five, and six offer views of the water while the roof-top decks (levels five and six) offer glimpses of the downtown Tampa skyline. Level five has an exterior shower so sunbathers can cool off while catching some rays on the roof, or if they’d prefer they can hang out in a designated shaded area. This level also provides plenty of space for exterior furniture and a built-in gas fire pit. The great room on level three faces the water with breathtakingly beautiful views of Seddon Channel through 10 feet of the 12 foot wall that faces the water. It opens via accordion-style “NanaWall” doors that open up to a front balcony that has a border of artificial grass for pets to feel at home 11 feet off the ground as they watch the boats and people go by. The entire house vertically cascades in such a way that when you are in it all you see are the water views to the east and tree canopies to the west. Many people comment that while on level three, facing west provides a feeling of serenity as if the home was a tree house because all you see is the greenery of the tree tops. Cascading the home was critical to allow the architecture itself act as a privacy barrier between people walking down the sidewalk and the living room. Though the main view to the west is of the channel, it first has to jump over a sidewalk, a street, and then another sidewalk. The concept is that when someone is in the family room, there is a great sense of privacy because the sidewalks are entirely hidden from view. If the owners want to feel more connected to the neighborhood, they can always go people-watching on the balcony. Circulation was a big theme in this house; the concept of how people move around the home both horizontally and vertically. People can easily get to each level with 7 or less stairs…even on the exterior. For example: if someone in the rear yard wanted to use the pool bath, they would walk up a small set of stairs and enter the home and the bathroom is right there. If people in the yard wanted to access the kitchen/dining area they would simply go up another half-level. We were pretty vocal in working with the landscape designers in that we wanted the landscape on this project to mimic the modern lines of the building. Plants cascade down the front of the house as any other architectural element until they finally terminate at the ground plane. The more homogeneous we can make accessory design elements such as plants, landscaping, pools, etc. the more complete the architecture will be. *In 2014, this home sold for $140/sf more than its nearest comparables and also had over 14,000 people walk through it during the Parade of Homes.

$1.7m

Tampa, FL