STRUMOR KEYS HOUSE

PLANTATION KEY, FLORIDA
1968

The local American Plywood Association representative suggested that if I could find a client willing to build an all plywood house that would demonstrate a few ideas they were promoting, that they would contribute all the material. The clients for this vacation house in the Florida Keys lived in New York, had three children, and he was an amateur sculptor. They were excited about the idea of house as sculpture and readily agreed on the plywood deal.

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One of the APA ideas was to glue exterior finish plywood directly to the studs with no moisture barrier and apply urethane foam in all wall, floor and roof framing, which made for a very quiet and energy efficient house.

T-1-11 plywood was the finish surface of all walls, inside and out, and all ceilings. The grey stained walls interplayed with white roof planes outside which also penetrated into the interior. Coral stone was the only material that visually touched the ground, and appeared inside as the fireplace. Carpet was used also as an architectural material and interplayed with the stained plywood walls inside.

All elements were composed harmoniously to achieve exciting space, but also simplicity and serenity.

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