TL;DR
Get tools and workshop supplies delivered free — and shop member deals
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Access to Prime Big Deal Days deals on October 6–7
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
Nina and Michael Marco have reconstructed the 1955 Biggs Residence in Delray Beach, Florida, preserving Paul Rudolph’s design while adapting the house for current coastal conditions. The six-year project joined the original steel pavilion to a contemporary addition and enclosed spaces beneath the elevated home.
Nina and Michael Marco have spent six years reconstructing the 1955 Biggs Residence, a 1,600-square-foot Delray Beach, Florida, home designed by architect Paul Rudolph. Working with Jeffrey Silberstein of Silberstein Architecture, they retained the elevated steel pavilion and original layout while adapting the house to present-day hurricane codes and coastal flooding standards.
The project began with a discovery after the Marcos bought the former Sewell C. Biggs Residence in 2018. In a bedroom closet, they found a red velvet bag containing 1950s photographs and Rudolph’s hand-drawn plans. Those materials helped inform the reconstruction, according to the Design Milk report.
The restored house retains its original steel structure and its arrangement of two bedrooms and two bathrooms. The elevated, rectilinear glass pavilion stands on steel columns, with exposed beams, broad glass openings and jalousie windows that admit coastal breezes. The steel frame was rehabilitated and raised to meet coastal flooding standards, while the owners and architect worked to reconcile the 1955 design with current hurricane requirements.
A new two-story, glass-enclosed breezeway connects the original residence to a contemporary addition. Designed by Silberstein, the breezeway contains a kitchen and powder room. The addition provides two more bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms and a two-car garage. The Marcos also enclosed the area under the raised structure with sliding glass panels, creating a ground-floor living, dining and entertainment space based on an idea in Rudolph’s original drawings.
Rudolph’s Design Meets Coastal Codes
The renovation shows how a historic modernist house can be adapted for present-day use while retaining significant features of its original design. Here, that work involved addressing hurricane codes and coastal flooding standards alongside the rehabilitation of the steel structure. The source report does not detail the specific engineering measures or code approvals.
The project also makes the original house part of a larger working home. The enclosed lower level adds everyday living space, while the breezeway creates a physical connection to the new rooms. That approach reflects the Marcos’ stated aim of preserving the residence as a place to live, rather than treating it solely as an architectural artifact.
Plans Found After the 2018 Purchase
The Biggs Residence dates to 1955 and was designed by Paul Rudolph, a major figure in American modernist architecture. The source identifies the house as an example of his tropical modernist work, with its raised pavilion, steel structure and extensive glazing suited to an open relationship with the Florida climate.
When Nina and Michael Marco purchased the property in 2018, they found photographs and Rudolph’s drawings in the closet. They worked with architect Jeffrey Silberstein on the reconstruction, which took six years. The report does not provide a precise completion date. The owners also incorporated period-associated materials, including oyster-pebble terrazzo imported from Italy, as well as family heirlooms and original photographs of the house.
“From day one, our mandate was simple: honor Rudolph’s design no matter how difficult, time-consuming, or costly.”
— Michael Marco
Project Approvals and Dates Unspecified
The source report does not state the renovation’s exact completion date, name the specific hurricane-code provisions addressed or describe the permits and approvals involved. It also does not provide independent assessments of how closely the rebuilt details match Rudolph’s plans or how the altered structure is expected to perform in a storm. Those details remain outside the information provided.
A Residence Set for Continued Use
The report presents the reconstructed house as a residence shaped for ongoing use, with the original pavilion connected to the new addition and the lower level brought into the home’s living area. The owners have said they hope the project will help safeguard the property’s architectural history for future generations. No further construction phases, public access plans or upcoming milestones are identified in the source.
Key Questions
Where is the Biggs Residence?
It is in Delray Beach, Florida.
Who designed the original house?
Paul Rudolph designed the residence, which dates to 1955.
What did the renovation preserve?
The project retained the original steel structure, elevated glass pavilion and two-bedroom, two-bathroom layout while adapting the house for current coastal conditions.
What was added to the home?
A glass-enclosed breezeway connects the original house to an addition with two en-suite bedrooms and a two-car garage. The space below the raised structure was also enclosed for living, dining and entertaining.
Source: rss
Fall yard work Picks
leaf blowers
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
