Welcome to the inaugural issue of our newsletter dedicated to sharing news on the development of the North Village, Windsor’s final phase. Sited on 47 acres, the North Village is at once a seamless expansion of this beloved seaside community, and a fresh new vision for it. In this edition, we introduce you to the project’s landscape architect, Isaac Stein of Dept. Landscape Architecture and Urban Design, a design studio in Houston. We report on a fascinating study from celebrated ornithologist Dr. John Fitzpatrick detailing the existing birdlife on the North Village site.
We also share positive news on homesite sales and discuss the architectural design direction for the residences.
MEET THE TEAM
Landscape Design
Windsor’s goal for the North Village is to develop a beautiful and welcoming neighborhood that can serve as home to native plants and wildlife as well as its residents.
A Design & Development team was assembled to create a landscape plan that engages all the senses, while preserving and enhancing the natural environment. Here, we talk with one member of the team, Isaac Stein of Dept. Landscape Architecture and Urban Design in Houston, Texas.
Question: What was it about this project that was so compelling and why did you decide to join the Design & Development team?
Answer: We were very excited to join the Design & Development team after Alannah Weston and her team shared their Landscape Creative Brief with us. It highlighted many principles that aligned with our company’s mission. Our studio strives to work sensitively within social and ecological contexts and to work with natural forces rather than against them. We believe that at any scale, design can improve ecological health; and from the outset, we felt that the North Village project team was committed to reframing development as a form of ecological stewardship and willing to put in the effort to think holistically about how to construct a living landscape.
NORTH VILLAGE HOMESITES
Lot Sales Reach Sixty Percent Sellout
From its beginning in the early 1990s, Windsor embraced the innovative New Urbanist mindset by creating walkable neighborhoods that connect to parks and community gathering spaces.
The result: A captivating seaside enclave with world-class amenities, a strong sense of community – and a lower ecological footprint.
Just a few months after Windsor launched its final phase of development in the North Village, homesites already have reached 60 percent sellout. Forward-thinking buyers are moving expeditiously to acquire lots in this exclusive community that offers a rare combination of luxury and sustainability.
We’ve created a new standard for sustainable luxury living with some of the most innovative and trusted designers in the world...
— Betsy Hanley
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“The North Village has resonated with buyers looking for a quiet coastal experience who also prioritize and practice an environmentally friendly lifestyle in their everyday lives,” said Betsy Hanley, CEO and President of Torwest, Inc., and President of Windsor Real Estate, Inc. “We’ve created a new
standard for sustainable luxury living with some of the most innovative and trusted designers in the world, and we’re thrilled by the strong sales success we’ve seen thus far.”
Residents of the North Village will enjoy Windsor’s brand of privacy and seclusion, with myriad opportunities to view and interact with nature. Guided by well-respected landscape and environmental design experts, Windsor is creating a complex habitat through wetland creation and native plant selection, which will allow birds and other native wildlife to thrive.
Opportunities for outdoor activities will abound in the North Village where residents can enjoy a kayak launch with direct lagoon access and a network of scenic paths including boardwalks that extend out into an estuary and lake.
An impressive 12,620-square-foot Fitness and Wellness Centre will provide a place to exercise as well as spa treatment rooms, relaxation spaces and a juice bar. To foster a connection with nature, fitness programming will extend outdoors.
Although Windsor itself is secluded, its setting within Vero Beach is ideal. Vero Beach is a gem along Florida’s unspoiled Treasure Coast, known for pristine beaches, wildlife sanctuaries, fashionable shopping districts, and top performing arts venues. What makes this coastal city especially appealing is its easy-going, family friendly attitude. Instead of intrusive high-rise condos dominating the landscape, Vero’s quaint downtown features breezy palm trees and low-slung historic buildings just steps from the ocean.
1 Pe li c an Islan d National W ildli fe Re f u g e
2 Observation Tow e r
3 Jun g l e Trai l
4 I ndian R i v e r La g oo n
5 Ka y a k Laun c h
6 Ka y a k Sto ra g e
7 E s t u a r y
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11 La
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1 3 Par k
1 4 La ke D e c k
1 5 Row Hou s e s
1 6 Villa ge G re e n
1 7 F itn e s s & We lln e s s C e nt re
18 Ou t sid e o f W in d s o r
CONTEMPORARY REFINEMENTS
A Subtle Evolution of Windsor’s Iconic Architectural Style
Windsor captured the attention of the building and design world early on when it eschewed the conventional Florida golf course development model in favor of New Urbanist ideas that emphasize environmental stewardship and connectivity. Andrés Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk of DPZ CoDesign, pioneers of the movement, helped Windsor create environmentally sensitive, pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods with well-connected green spaces and public gathering venues that promote human interaction.
The thoughtfully designed plan did indeed foster a closeknit community, which applauds Windsor for its enchanting seaside setting, characteristic Anglo-Caribbean architecture, and exceptional sporting amenities.
Within the 472-acre community are a diverse array of award-winning homes situated in the main village, along the Atlantic coastline, and overlooking the fairways of a magnificent 18-hole championship golf course.
DPZ CoDesign’s Xavier Iglesias, who served as project manager on Windsor’s original plan, has joined the design team for the North Village, which will complete the aspirational vision of Windsor co-founders W. Galen and Hilary M. Weston. As Windsor launches its final phase of development, daughter Alannah Weston offers a fresh eye, with calls for an even greater commitment to sustainability.
Development of the 47-acre tract, adjacent to the Indian River Lagoon, will build on the exceptional master plan and timeless architectural aesthetic established more than three decades ago. But even as it becomes a harmonious expansion of Windsor, the North Village will be distinctive.
Nature will enjoy a starring role in the North Village. Windsor is receiving guidance from a top-notch team of experts who focus on ecologically sensitive landscape design including Dept., a landscape design studio based in Houston, leading nature-based landscape designer Edwina von Gal, and land conservation expert Beth Dowdle. Also on the development team is Chicago-based Farr Associates, a leading architecture and urban design firm in the sustainability movement.
The team’s ambitious plan is to create a neighborhood in harmony with the natural environment by integrating green spaces, protecting wildlife, and employing innovative building ideas.
A mix of 34 single-family residences and six Row Houses, along with new amenities, will be built to take advantage of calming water views of an estuary and lake. To lower their environmental impact, homes will be required to achieve
certification through the Passive House Institute US (Phius), which promotes high-performance building practices for energy efficiency and homeowner comfort.
Homes in the North Village will be no less luxurious, beautiful, or private than other Windsor homes, but they will be somewhat more contemporary. The architectural code will honor Windsor’s Anglo-Caribbean heritage by retaining
signature features including balconies, shutters, steeply pitched roofs, and deep eaves with exposed rafter tails. As in the rest of Windsor, houses will be built with a single-room depth to allow cross ventilation and abundant natural light.
But the code has been modified to encourage a more pared-down aesthetic with enhanced eco-friendly considerations. The requisite light, earthy color palette will blend respectfully into the natural landscape. Homes will feature narrower columns on loggias, porches, and verandas. Simplicity of form is the guiding principle for all building accessories such as exterior lighting.
To achieve a low environmental impact, homes in the North Village are required to use all-electric indoor appliances and an efficient water heating and delivery system such as a heat pump. The use of porches, trellises, shutters and mature landscaping is mandatory for shading windows that face the east, south and west.
Sustainable practices that are encouraged include the use of timber construction materials, which can be sourced from responsibly managed forests, and the use of coatings and finishes with low volatile organic compounds that emit fewer harmful chemicals.
Residents in the North Village will be approved to build permanent screened porches on the home’s side and rear facades, and to install solar shingles.
Each lot in the North Village will feature attractive fourfoot-high coquina rock garden walls along the street and lake boundaries to define and separate private space
from community space. Homes can be one or two stories, with courtyards like those seen in Windsor’s existing neighborhoods. In the North Village, buyers will have the opportunity to include roof terraces in their home design.
Windows, balconies, porches, and loggias facing the street or waterfront are encouraged for their aesthetic value, nature views and interaction with the community. Privacy will be protected by strategic placement of these building elements. Shutters are required in some areas for privacy purposes and encouraged in other places for their architectural interest as well as to help with the regulation of sun exposure.
Residents in the North Village are encouraged to capitalize on breathtaking views of lakes, parks and the Indian River Lagoon as well as the Pelican Island National Refuge by building third-story towers or belvederes on the street side.
Poised to serve as a model for sustainable luxury living, the North Village already has piqued the interest of home buyers looking to the future. With this final phase of the cofounders’ vision, Windsor hopes to prove development can take into consideration the needs of today’s homeowners, the natural environment – and future generations.
Conceptual Rendering
NATURE AT THE FORE
Revered Ornithologist Dr. John Fitzpatrick Surveys the North Village
Prior to beginning construction of the North Village, Windsor tasked world-renowned ornithologist
Dr. John Fitzpatrick, former Director of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, with conducting a survey of the birds occupying the 47-acre tract of land.
As Windsor embarks on its final phase of development, the survey will help the community realize its vision of integrating comfortable, beautiful and energy-efficient homes into the natural environment by enhancing rather than disrupting the ecological balance.
The North Village landscape is of considerable ecological significance. It bridges a transition between the thoughtfully landscaped residential village of Windsor to the south and the extraordinarily significant, permanently protected habitats of the 5,400-acre Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge to the north.
Successfully achieving that delicate balance where architecture and nature coexist in harmony is an ambitious – even bold – real estate project.
Dr. Fitzpatrick’s bird survey will allow Windsor an opportunity to measure the success of its vision by replicating studies conducted at various intervals after the project is complete.
The baseline survey, conducted this year between February 27 to May 11, reported on bird species that “winter” in the region as well as those migrating during spring, plus the many resident birds that breed here.
Dr. Fitzpatrick employed a preferred technique for conducting bird surveys in woodland habitats of North America. Using a portable speaker, he broadcast a loud audio recording known to elicit close approaches by most North American species of songbirds, woodpeckers, and flycatchers. He detected a total of 81 resident and migratory species of birds over the course of his ten visits.
He observed a few species including the Bald Eagle and Red-tailed Hawk, that are local Florida residents unlikely to breed on the North Village grounds, but could occasionally visit, perch, and even capture prey there.
The survey provides Windsor with vital knowledge about which birds are likely to use the property. Many of the wading birds such as herons, egrets, ibis, and stork, for example, could easily become frequent users of the lakes and estuarine habitats that are already indicated in the landscaping plans for the North Village, Fitzpatrick noted.
Dr. John Fitzpatrick
“Windsor’s goal is to attract significantly more species of birds to the site, perhaps including wintering waterfowl, shorebirds, kingfishers, and other species attracted by the addition of landscaped water features,” Fitzpatrick said.
To protect the natural landscape and its occupying wildlife, the architecture and overall landscaping in the North Village will be developed with a focus on sustainability. The plan is to incorporate natural areas, a lake, and an estuary.
Many of the native oak trees and cabbage palms will be relocated on the property, which Dr. Fitzpatrick says bodes well for the future of the North Village as a bird haven.
To allow residents to interact with nature, Windsor is incorporating multipurpose trails and boardwalks, a wildlife observation deck, and a kayak launch.
Dr. Fitzpatrick’s expertise will help ensure Windsor completes its mission to enable residents of the North Village to live in harmony with nature. He has held top positions at the Field Museum of Chicago and the Archbold Biological Station near Lake Placid, Florida, and has earned numerous honors during his career. Most recently, Dr. Fitzpatrick received the James Madison Medal from Princeton University, where he earned his doctorate in 1978, in recognition of his extraordinary contributions to ornithology.
He spent 26 years as executive director of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and just recently retired as professor in Cornell’s department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. While there, he helped develop the eBird app, which has become an indispensable tool for birdwatchers at all
levels. The primary function of the free app is to provide a platform for users to record and submit their bird sightings for conservation research. Although launched in the U.S. in 2002, eBird now has a significant global impact with data collected from countries all over the earth.
The app serves as the world’s largest biodiversity-related citizen-science project. Fitzpatrick says eBird now acts as “a real-time monitor of ecosystem health around the world.”
Dr. Fitzpatrick discussed the importance of the eBird data collected and what birds can tell us about the ecological health of the planet during an eye-opening presentation in 2023 at Windsor’s Town Hall. He is planning on returning to Windsor in the fall and winter to conduct two bird walks with the Windsor Membership’s burgeoning group of Birders.
Pileated Woodpecker
MEET THE TEAM
Landscape Design (Continued)
Q: Tell us about the landscape plan for the North Village.
A : The North Village is a nearly 50-acre development with more than three-fourths of this space reserved for landscape and open space. Nearly 10 acres of the North Village will be dedicated to aquatic habitat and 26.5 acres will be reserved for parks, native hammocks, marshes and tree islands. All 34 homesites will have long views over the two new water bodies: the lake to the east and the estuary on the west.
The North Village will be a beautiful, curated landscape that will be a contribution to the environment. All rain that falls in the North Village will flow through planted landscape areas that will filter stormwater as it is directed to the lake. This filtered water will then flow into the estuary before flowing out to the Indian River Lagoon, leaving the North Village cleaner than it arrived. This naturally filtered water will support the health of the seagrasses in the Indian River Lagoon, the main food source for Florida’s threatened manatee population.
Q: You have been involved in designing the various walkways and outdoor amenities. Can you give us a preview of what is planned?
A: Our company, Dept. Landscape Architecture and Urban Design, is designing the public outdoor space in the
North Village. This includes a variety of amenities and walking trails through the landscape. Some highlights include ample walking trails, a boathouse for kayaks with access to the Lagoon, an observation tower that perches above the tree canopy, a 3-acre park, an island for public art, a clearing in the wood for a community fireplace, a gentle waterfall that connects the lake to the estuary, and several overlooks and meandering boardwalks. In addition, a 12,620-square-foot Fitness and Wellness Centre will be located at the southern end of the North Village.
Q: What changes do you expect to see in the North Village’s ecology in five years?
A: Over the next five years we expect to see rapid growth in diversity in the flora and fauna of the North Village. With the addition of 80-plus native species of trees, palms, and understory plants, we are creating habitat and food to attract more permanent and migratory birds that travel up and down the Indian River Lagoon, the largest lagoon in North America. We hope to visit in a few years and see our own favorite bird, the Roseate Spoonbill wading in the estuary.
Q: Are there plans to introduce some of what is being planned in the North Village into the existing Windsor community?
A: We are working with Edwina von Gal and Perfect Earth Project on establishing sustainability goals in the project and are in discussions with the Windsor team on a broader Land Care Management Plan for the North Village and Windsor at large. Our goal in the Design team is to have the principles that Alannah put forth in the North Village translated throughout the Windsor community.
All information contained in this newsletter, including renderings and the configuration, elevation, and size of lots, lakes, common areas and roads, reflect preliminary plans only, are not to scale and are subject to change during the final design and permitting process, and should not be relied upon as representation, express or implied, of final detail. The developer expressly reserves the right to make modifications, revisions and changes which it deems desirable in its sole and absolute discretion.
