Sheet Pile House - Sketch

I received a notification, that a beach front property in Manalapan FL. was for sale. (Where is Manalapan, FL you ask? lol same Wiki) I click the link and see a property on the Bay side of A1A, but after taking a look at the property appraiser page it was revealed that these lots had been platted to span from the bay to the beach and A1A was allowed to cut through them. These properties have an interesting zoning that allows for a combination of a house and smaller beach cabana, there is also a provision that allows you to tunnel under A1A to connect these lot sections with a path.

I imaged a 3 story home similar to the existing older home on the lot that would look over a small hammock which blocked the view of the street and out to the cabana on the beach.

Also in thinking of the intrusive quality of the street running through the property I thought about the never ending story of 1-95. 826 and now 395 construction I’ve seen most of my life in Miami FL, this is where I gathered the elements and ideas to construct the home. Sheet Piles, large ribbed precast beam / slabs and suspended platforms associated with highway and overpass construction influenced the structural and material logics of the home.

This is an initial sketch of the concept.