Architect Designs Sustainable Homes in Vero Beach, FL by Kathy Calnen

Four lakefront cottages will provide a harmonious hideaway for their future owners

The Oasis On 12th Street

Surrounded by towering oaks, four lakefront cottages will provide a harmonious hideaway for their future owners.

oasis on 12th street

BY Ann Taylor

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ver the last five years, hundreds of homes in newly created communities have been built throughout Indian River County. Most are hard to miss. Typically large in scale, visible from the street, and surrounded by privacy walls, they have forever changed what had once been open land lush with trees and tropical foliage. Yet very soon a different kind of community will begin to emerge in our midst, one that bears noting. As you drive west on 12th Street, shortly after you’ve passed 43rd Avenue, maybe you’ve caught sight of a sun-dappled coquina road that winds its way into a mass of towering oaks and wondered what’s in there. The answer, right now, is nothing, except what nature blessed it with. But this spring, architect Michael McKinley plans to break ground and begin construction on a compound of four cottage-style homes on the 3½-acre site. Zoned for three residences per acre, McKinley could have opted to build as many as nine units. Instead, he and his wife and business partner Kathy Calnen chose a more ecologically sensitive approach when designing Grove Cottages, a name that honors its citrus heritage. “When we purchased the property four years ago, our original concept was to create a low-density residential enclave in order to preserve the trees, the hammock and overall canopy,” says Michael. “It’s a mature hammock and it

The site plan that architect Michael McKinley designed for Grove Cottages features an environmentally sensitive, compact building footprint and land use covenants that will ensure the woodland is protected.

The four cottages will be distinguished by their verticality, which captures and complements the beauty of the surrounding trees. In addition to the native vegetation already on the property, xeriscaping, native, and drought-resistant plants will be used instead of sod.

fascinated Kathy and me with its pristine character, including the coquina road. Our concept has always been to stay as close to the character and privacy that really cause you to feel like this is an oasis.” Bravo. At a time when so much attention is being given to uncontrolled sprawl development, Grove Cottages is a refreshing and responsible alternative. It will also be a model of green design. Built to Florida Green Building Coalition Standards, the homes will incorporate energy-efficient design and sustainable building materials. Instead of the lawns and sidewalks typical of most subdivisions, indig-

enous vegetation will grow beside elevated walkways that meander around to the cottages’ waterside decks with lake views framed by trees. “There are two water features. One is about an acre, the other one slightly smaller, and we’ve gone to great lengths to make them an ecological feature,” says Michael. “A requirement by the county is to retain rainwater on site, which is practical, yet we’ve gone several steps further, particularly with the cottages which have been designed in pairs so that they share the water spaces.” He smiles as he visualizes the scene. “The social spaces, the indoor and outdoor

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jon pine

Architect Michael McKinley and his wife and business partner Kathy Calnen have spent four years planning Grove Cottages. This spring, site construction will begin and an environmentally beautiful community will begin to emerge on 12th Street.

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spaces all look out towards the water. This is the wonder of a small lake that might have a little dock on it—you can walk around it and see reflections in the water. This is what Florida is all about. “We’ve worked with the county planning staff to take every measure possible to ensure that the forest is preserved. In addition to the native vegetation already there, xeriscaping, native and drought resistant plants will be planted instead of sod. Our philosophy is that it’s critical a house be well-sited and that it’s respectful of the landscape and neighbors. “Homeowners will have exclusive use of two acres of lakes and forest. It’s taken us a long time to get every-

thing approved, but because we believed so strongly in what we were doing, and because we’re not only the developer but architects who believed in the project, we didn’t walk away.”

o illustrate her husband’s comment, Kathy opens a brochure that shows an overview of the site plan, with a road called Cottage Grove Way leading into the compact building footprint surrounded by a forest. “Michael went to great lengths to preserve the trees. He did a tree survey that identified hundreds of oaks and the community was planned around them. This is actually what you

The two-story cottages, approximately 3,000 to 3,500 square feet under air, will feature an open first-floor plan with an attached master suite cottage, private interior courtyard/ spa and Jacuzzi as well as an indoor/outdoor shower, and a hurricane safe room. The second floor has a second master suite, study, and two bedrooms/baths, plus a veranda/ sleeping porch that overlooks the lake.

call infill development, which is developing a residual piece of property where everything else around has been developed. It’s really a wonderful way to reduce sprawl development and create something beautiful.” Michael McKinley & Associates, an architecture and interiors firm based in Stonington, Conn., has a reputation for creating beautiful residential settings. Specializing in coastal residential design in waterfront communities, examples can be seen in Watch Hill, R.I., Old Greenwich and Stonington, Conn., and very soon Vero Beach, where the firm is opening an office. While Michael takes care of the architectural details, Kathy is responsible for the interior design and marketing. “We call Kathy the ‘material girl’ because when I started my office she was in the reporting and news business,” says Michael. “But it soon became clear that she had a keener appreciation of color and materials than most of the architects I went to school with. So I gradually drew her in on specific projects, and she interacted with our clients so well that that’s what she does now full time. When we design, it’s from an insideout and outside-in process, and the materials we use have an impact on the design. Through her reporting and background in research, Kathy has been able to help us better understand what

The four cottages have been designed for versatility in order to accommodate the needs of a variety of clients, from a growing family to a single individual seeking privacy.

the strengths are.” The two have been involved in every detail that has gone into creating Grove Cottages. The four two-story residences, approximately 3,000 to 3,500 square feet under air, feature an open first-floor plan with visually and architecturally distinct rooms, including a social kitchen, light-filled Florida room, living room with fireplace, and screened front porch with an outdoor fireplace. “When we looked at the traditional architecture we saw that the front porch was a key feature that comes up time after time,” explains Michael. “So our concept was to include it in the design along with a fireplace that is back-to-back with the one in the living room. The porch and the fireplace are what greet

you as you enter.” The first floor also features an attached master cottage with vaulted ceiling, private interior courtyard/ spa with a Jacuzzi and indoor/outdoor shower, plus a hurricane safe room with laundry, utility and storage. The second floor has another master suite, a study and two bedrooms, each with its own bathroom, as well as a veranda/sleeping porch that overlooks the lake. Vaulted ceilings and an upstairs laundry room complete the floor plan. Additional cottage design options include a swimming pool and a detached garage with a studio or attic. “We tried to include elements that can be added or subtracted as desired,” Michael says. “For instance, if a client chooses to forego the first-floor master suite,

“Green building” is a systems approach to home building that recognizes a home is only one aspect of a larger picture, the community. This enlightened approach goes hand-inhand with the desire to provide high-quality, healthy and efficient homes while preserving and protecting  the natural environment. While green homes are constructed differently than traditional ones, there is no difference in appearance, which means there is no need to sacrifice style, convenience or comfort in order to enjoy all the benefits of green building.

This sun-dappled coquina road winds its way into a mass of towering oaks that will soon become home to a small compound of four cottages.

which is in a separate cottage attached to the house, it can easily be eliminated. So can the veranda on the second floor, which is off the two bedrooms; what our company has done with this area on the coast of Rhode Island and Connecticut is to introduce areas where you could sleep up to six kids. We also have the versatility to use the veranda as an entertainment area or a playroom, or it can be eliminated entirely. We have the versatility to change which makes the cottages desirable for all kinds of clients, from a growing family to a single fellow who just wants to have privacy and hang out. We have built in amenities that some clients will need, while others might not. And there will be some who will say, ‘I love that, but we’re not ready for it now, though we might want it later on.’ “It’s a very efficient way to expand, again preserving the environment, which I think will be common to Grove Cottage buyers. The positive side is that when all four cottages are built, they will assume the character of their owners. Not one will resemble

another in the final configuration, but they will have a common bond with respect to scale and respect for the landscape.” To that end, Michael and Kathy have made sure the natural charm and authenticity of the Grove Cottages community cannot be compromised. Land-use covenants ensure that the woodland is protected. “We have a homeowners’ association in the most minimal sense possible,” says Michael. “It was really established to preserve the landscape, to make sure that it stays in a natural state and that it’s maintained. We have overlaid what we think will preserve the philosophy of this with the covenants, and we think people will see a lot of value in that.”

ite construction, scheduled to start this spring, can’t come soon enough for Michael and Kathy. After four years of planning, both are ready to see Grove Cottages become a reality. When it comes time to start construction, building materials will include sustainable hardwood or green composite for the deck, and hardwood floors. “We’re constantly looking to use materials in an honest way,” says Michael. “If it’s stone you let the stone stay stone and you need to let it be the best it can be. The same can be said about a wood floor and wood trim. The more complex and sculptural it gets, the less it looks like wood. All of the materials we will be using have been chosen for their quality and beauty rather than for their complexity.” Michael’s firm is also known for its lighting design, interior detailing and finish selections, and those services are included in the Grove Cottages design package, enabling each homeowner to customize the interior with the expertise of an architect. For Michael, that translates to long-term involvement: “I think Kathy and I will be involved with this project until we stop working—and I mean that in a very good way.” `