When architect and client are one and the same, it is a weighty proposition. Freed from second opinions and perhaps some second-guessing, the design experience is no longer a collaborative one, but instead, a singularly conceived and executed vision that opens the door to bold experimentation. This freedom of expression proved liberating for architect Max Strang, when he masterfully transformed a secluded one-acre plot, thick with foliage, into his family home in Coconut Grove, Fla.

"It all started with this unique location," explains Strang, a native Floridian who lived on the one-acre plot in a 600-square-foot wooden house with his wife before moving down the road when construction began. He then razed the small house, saving the foundation for a stunning, black-bottom pool carved like a grotto. The whole process allowed him to have a deeper appreciation for the diverse landscape.

"Sometimes we feel like we’re in an eco-resort because of all the trees and exotic vegetation in this part of Miami," says Strang. "We only have an acre of land, but it feels more like 30 or 40— there isn’t another house in sight."

A modernist by inclination, Strang counts the work of Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa, who designed indoor-outdoor projects in Indonesia, among his inspirations for this house. Strang views his own split-level limestone home as a departure from his other residential projects. To offset the rules—and, some might say, austerity—of modern design, Strang mixed Balinese teak furnishings with limited-edition designer pieces and clean lines to create a surprising hybrid of styles: modern tropical.

The home’s light-filled, contemporary interior provides an unexpected contrast to the stateliness of the limestone facade that blends organically into its surroundings. Strang’s unique design functions both as an accommodating home for him, his wife and their two young children, and as the scene of casual outdoor entertaining, largely due to the spacious second-floor terrace, which mirrors the downstairs plan.

The rectangular main floor of the house is 155 feet long and 25 feet wide, a long sweep of white walls anchored by a dramatic limestone fireplace in the living area. Resting against the fireplace is a decorative Timor door from Indonesia, and directly opposite are two classic Wassily chrome-and-leather chairs. A teak coffee table and bench against a sidewall were imported from Bali, along with sculptural palm vases and pots. Floor-to-ceiling hurricane windows and a simple, polished concrete floor speak to practicalities in the tropical climate.

This bright living space also consists of a sparse, "vanishing" kitchen with white walls, recessed lighting, hidden appliances and sleek, stainless storage cabinets. A set of chrome barstools lines an 8-foot-long island with an artful countertop cut from Dade County pine salvaged from the couple’s previous home. A Balinese teak table and woven-banana-leaf chairs provide the only attempt at a place for sit-down eating inside, indicative of the fact that the Strangs spend much of their time entertaining and dining alfresco.