About

Windmill Ranches

Windmill Ranches sits on a 60,001 sf lakefront lot in Weston, Florida, and every move in its 7,943 sf plan answers to the water. The brief was clear from the outset: bring the lake inside. SDH Studio responded with a tropical modern residence of white marble, lake light and open volume, where the view does not sit behind the architecture but runs straight through it, from the front terraces to the water's edge.

Location: Weston, FL
Status: Completed
Site Area: 60,001 sf
Livable Area: 5,570 sf
Total Area: 7,973 sf
Architect: SDH Studio
Interior Design: SDH Studio
Landscape: Chris Eaves Landscape by Design
GC: AVI Contractors
Photographer: Libertad Rodriguez
Team: Stephanie Halfen

The massing reads as a sequence of sloped roof planes that appear to hover above the site. Thin at their edges and pitched at deliberate angles, they break the house into distinct volumes rather than one heavy block, and give the lakefront elevation its rhythm. Beneath them, the principal living and entertaining spaces rise to double height, lifting the horizon line into the room and drawing daylight deep into the plan. White marble wraps the remaining facades and continues underfoot across the exterior floors, so the stone reads as one continuous surface from arrival to shoreline.

The rear elevation gives itself over to the lake. Structural glazing runs its full length, its profiles kept slim so the frame stays out of the picture, and from the living areas the water, the landscape and the pool resolve into a single composition. The L-shaped pool anchors the terrace with clean lines and a restrained edge, turning the corner of the house and carrying the eye outward toward the lake.

Inside, the plan favors openness without giving up definition. A wine wall separates dining from living, marking the threshold while keeping sightlines intact. The open kitchen forms the backdrop to the main seating area, placing the act of cooking at the center of the gathering rather than behind a closed door. Each zone keeps its own character, yet all of them share the same long view across the terrace to the water.

The primary suite occupies its own private wing, set well apart from the noise of the social spaces and turned toward deeper, quieter views of the landscape. A floor-to-ceiling bridge links it to the rest of the home, so the daily walk between public and private becomes a framed passage through the garden and the light. It is the one moment in the house where movement slows down on purpose.

Featured in Brazilian Decor Magazine, Windmill Ranches shows what tropical modernism can achieve on an inland site: make the lake the organizing idea, give every room a stake in it, and let the rest of the architecture follow.

Windmill Ranches

Windmill Ranches sits on a 60,001 sf lakefront lot in Weston, Florida, and every move in its 7,943 sf plan answers to the water. The brief was clear from the outset: bring the lake inside. SDH Studio responded with a tropical modern residence of white marble, lake light and open volume, where the view does not sit behind the architecture but runs straight through it, from the front terraces to the water’s edge.

Location
Weston, Florida
Status
Completed
Site Area
59,000 sf
Project Area
6,420 sf
Program
Single family residence
Architecture project in Windmill Ranches, weston
Architecture project in Windmill Ranches, weston
Architecture project in Windmill Ranches, weston
Architecture project in Windmill Ranches, weston

Gabriela & Joe

“Stephanie Halfen is an incredibly talented Architect and Interior Designer. The minute we saw the cover of Florida Design’s MIAMI Home and Decor (Spring/Summer 2015) we knew we would be working with her firm. From our first meeting Stephanie understood what we were looking for and was able to translate it into a design that exceeded all our expectations. The professionals at SDH were wonderful. They worked closely with us making sure every detail was taken care of. We look forward to moving into our new home in 2018. Thank you SDH for making this process such and enjoyable experience.”

Architecture project in Windmill Ranches, weston
Architecture project in Windmill Ranches, weston
Architecture project in Windmill Ranches, weston

Detail

Delicate sloped roof volumes float above the site capturing the stunning views of the lake, while dramatic double-height living and entertaining areas maximize the relationship between the interiors and the exteriors.

Architecture project in Windmill Ranches, weston
Architecture project in Windmill Ranches, weston

Detail

A wine wall delicately separates the dining and living room space while the open kitchen becomes the backdrop of the entertaining seating area.

Architecture project in Windmill Ranches, weston
Architecture project in Windmill Ranches, weston
Architecture project in Windmill Ranches, weston
Architecture project in Windmill Ranches, weston

Detail

The L-shape pool features sleek and contemporary design elements with clean lines and a minimalist aesthetic, with a focus on functionality and style.

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