- Interior
Over decades, this wooded, rural piece of land has shaped its character, its contours flowing like a long story through time. It has carved out its middle and bisected its length by a series of retaining walls that held back the sloping earth, like a mosaic of natural and human interventions. An old house, weathered by the years, stands there uneasily on the promontory, like a witness of time passing.
But amid this landscape of change and continuity, a new chapter emerges, a new breath. A story of devotion to the land, born of love for the Key Peninsula, shaped by the memories of 35 years of visits to a small beach house nearby. Here, on this piece of land, we cling to the dreams we cherish, to the hope that drives us. Design studio Mwworks their clients, driven by the same passion, embrace the challenge of creating a new home on this land. They see not just walls and rafters, but an oasis for themselves, for foster dogs who need love, for horses who breathe freedom, for family and friends who come and go like the waves of the sea. They see Longbranch as a home that is overlooked, not because it is inconspicuous, but because it is so deeply connected to its surroundings that it seems to be one with the land itself. From the winding country road, a gravel path leads to the house, past a modest new barn that promises to be of service in years to come. But only as you get closer does the house reveal itself, hiding behind foliage, like a treasure waiting to be discovered. The planted roof seems to blend seamlessly into the surrounding landscape, like a natural extension of the earth itself, already inhabited by frogs and birds that have found their home there.
This house, this monument of human creativity, is not above nature, but weaves itself into it, like a dance between man and environment.
This house, this monument of human creativity, is not above nature, but weaves itself into it, like a dance between man and environment. Spruces rise like sentinels at the entrance, while wooden beams gently rise above the tree roots, a symbiosis of construction and nature rarely seen. A bridge connects not only two shores, but two worlds, where human creation and natural beauty meet and embrace. Inside the house, the boundary between inside and outside is blurred, each window a painting framing the landscape, each room an ode to the natural splendor that awaits outside. Here there is no isolation from the world, but integration, a harmonious interplay between man and nature, between structure and landscape.
The house itself is a work of art, a tribute to the natural forms and materials that surround it. Concrete and wood, glass and stone are merged into a whole that is not only functional, but also aesthetically and spiritually fulfilling. Primary structural masses are cast with a loose concrete mixture that expresses the fluid nature of the material in contrast to the surrounding ragged aggregate. The private quarters are clad in dark stained cedar and locally produced Douglas Fir beams form the wood-frame pavilion that floats between these solid materials. At the residential pavilion, delicate glazing is kept separate from the heavy frame. This minimally encloses the space and expresses the nature of the assemblages. Here there is no domination of nature by man, but cooperation, respect for the strength and beauty of the land. Longbranch is more than a home; it is a vision, a dream come true, a testament of love for the land and all it has to offer. It is a place of peace and serenity, of warmth and timelessness, where the boundary between man and nature blurs and the two become one. And in this fusion of man and nature, we find our true home.
Photography by Andrew Pogue
Architect and Interiors by mwworks
General Contractor by Sparrow Woodworks
Engineer (Structural): PCS Structural Solutions
Engineer (Civil): SCJ Alliance
Landscaping: Black Lotus Landscaping
Plaster: Studio C / Cathy Connor
Geotechnical Engineer: Georesources LLC
Arborist: Steve Wortinger
Survey: Aspen Land Surveying LLC