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06/01/2006
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| [Real Estate] |
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| Bermuda-style villas and houses with central courtyards inspired by Antigua, now rise on a stretch of Florida’s Panhandle. |
| text by: |
Sharon McDonnell |
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Bermuda-style villas with stepped roofs, whitewashed masonry and rooftop
terraces overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, and houses with central courtyards
inspired by Antigua, a Spanish Colonial city in Guatemala, now rise on a stretch
of Florida’s Panhandle that is becoming known for master-planned communities
such as Seaside and WaterColor.
The eco-friendly homes use soy-based spray
foam insulation and geo-thermal heating and cooling for energy efficiency.
Up to 75 percent of the construction waste is being recycled, and all homes need
to be certified as disaster-resistant, following strict guidelines. As a
result, roof tiles are made of concrete, glued and fastened by screws to the
roof, and covered in three coats of limestone slurry.
But that is not the
only newsworthy item about Alys Beach: Apart from the sales office, the first
building constructed in 2005 was a newsstand called Fonville Press selling
international magazines and newspapers, coffee and gourmet pastries.
“Our
core business is magazine subscriptions, so the newsstand was an amenity we
could easily provide,” says developer Jason Comer, who oversees Alys Beach for
EBSCO, a Birmingham, Ala., provider of subscriptions and book orders for
libraries and research centers. As a child, Comer vacationed in the area with
his family, including his grandfather, the company founder, and his uncle, the
chairman. Named after his grandmother, Alys Beach is located between Seaside and
Rosemary Beach on beachfront land that his family purchased in the 1970s.
The
600 single-family homes are being designed by Duany Plater-Zyberk & Co., the
architects who pioneered the New Urbanism movement and created Seaside. “I
think Bermuda style is what Andres [Duany] has wanted to do for 20
years, and this was their only design recommendation,” Comer says. “Instead of
having a front porch or yard close to your neighbors, we build the home around a
courtyard.”
Sixty-five beachfront apartments de-signed by Porphyrios
Associates will resemble a town on the Greek island of Spetses that the
London-based firm designed. A beach club, restaurants and a gourmet market are
also planned.
Prices start at $1.9 million for single-family homes, including
land and design, and $1.2 million for townhouses. Lots ranging from 3,200 to
10,000 square feet begin at $450,000. At least 50 custom plans are offered. The
first phase of 150 homes is currently under construction, and completion is
expected in 2009.
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