Remember the beach

The best parts of blogging is one is able to look back at their (recent) life and revisit the places they've seen.

This cold weather in the Mid-Atlantic region had me longing for my trip to Florida last spring. A few clicks and I was back in Aly's Beach, at least virtually!

 Just one look at these pictures and the blue sky reminded me of the warm weather and crashing waves.

 Aly's beach was still very much under construction last year and I wonder how it has progressed.

 Maybe I should be planning another trip to check up on it!

What I wouldn't give to be sitting under that trellis rather than tramping through our cold snow and windy streets!

I'll take these virtual vacations in lieu of the real thing (for now!).

The sunsets of Seaside

Not only is the town architecturally beautiful, the sunsets seen in Seaside were some of the prettiest I've experienced.Why is it that one notices such things so much more during a vacation then during their daily lives?

The towers of Seaside

One of the architectural features you find throughout the different styles of Seaside are towers. They not only make the house they belong to distinctive, these towers are a great place to catch the sea breezes in the summer, views of the Gulf year round and provide private outdoor space as yards tend to be miniscule.This green house was one of the most charming in town.One of the many modern houses had this interesting tower; notice the curved ceiling within the peaked roof.One of my favorite houses, designed by Charles Warren, was inspired by a Roman villa.This distinctive red shade, in a town full of pastels, makes the house the brightest in Seaside.Many of the houses along 30A are Victorian, a natural style for a tower.What do you think, Yea or Nea? It becomes a bit overwhelming in person as so many houses have towers -how many is too many?

Seaside Beach Pavilions

Unlike some of the other new urbanist beach towns which dot the Florida panhandle, the beaches of Seaside are graciously open to the non-Seaside public.Not only are they free and open but each beach access point is marked with a different architectural folly.Designed by different architects in numerous styles, a common question in Seaside may be which folly is your favorite. The good thing about these is that you can always find your way closest to home on the beach without disturbing the dunes and wildlife.Pensacola Street was the beach access point closest to my cottage, The Angel in the Dunes, about 1 block away.Designed by Tony Atkin, the top of the post modernist folly (seen above) was lit at night so I could find my way home after sunset each evening.The West Ruskin Street Pavilion by Michael McDonough was also in postmodern style and perhaps a bit dated but I loved the playfulness of it.Just another reason I loved Seaside so much, this attention to detail. Who doesn't love an architectural folly?

The Chapel at Seaside

No small town is complete without a church. Seaside has an adorable white board-and-batten chapel built in the tradition of such churches but with a modern edge.The non-denominational chapel was designed by Scott Merrill of Merrill and Pastor Architects on land donated by the founders of Seaside, Robert and Daryl Davis.Designed to be the tallest building in town, the chapel is given extra prominence by being the end point of the center line of town; a true focal point.My father being a minister, I have very definite ideas about churches of course, and this one hits the mark on every item. I love the old fashioned pews and the paneled Apse or Altar front. Tall ceilings and fans help in the hot summer weather.Adjacent to the main building is a charming outdoor chapel formed by an allee of trees and breezeway off the front of the church. Read more about the chapel and see some great photos at the blog Life of an Architect.

Alys Beach

Located just west of Rosemary Beach is the 3rd development planned by Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company, Alys Beach. Founded in 2003, the development is even larger than the previous projects at 158 acres which includes 20 acres of wetland preserve. Alys Beach has an important component the other projects do not. It is designed with sustainability in mind; in particular resistance to hurricanes and strong storms. White stucco over concrete walls, strong wind-resistant windows and sheltered outdoor living spaces are all major players in the architectural vocabulary.The architectural style is inspired by Bermuda and courtyard architecture. Alys beach is planned to be an upscale community and while far from finished, it really is impressive and feels LUXE.While many building sites remain, much of the infrastructure and amenities are in place.I loved this beach pavilion with the flowing curtains overlooking the gulf.I had a delicious latte at the Fontville Press coffee shop.As there are wetlands, a canal of sorts runs through the project, connecting even the further-most properties to the water. This bridge connects 2 sides of the development over the canal and has this charming tower. Along the canal are a number of really impressive houses.This house has a rare front porch. Unlike Seaside and Rosemary Beach, front porches are not a requirement and most houses instead have an interior courtyard.This house, south of 30A had an impressive front facade and a deep lot, containing a courtyard which was almost like a secret garden.A lot of construction is happening along the waterfront with interesting houses shaping up. I loved this house with the moorish arches and shapes. Many of the construction signs were from prestigious architects such as McAlpine Tankersley.This beautiful house was entered through a courtyard.These courtyard houses are a style I can get on board with as I've always been obsessed with secret gardens. I think residents are far more likely to use private outdoor spaces such as these as opposed to the front porches of Seaside.Again, water features are an important design element and you cannot get very far without hearing the tinkling of water.My favorite portion of the development is the center portion of townhouses (I'm a devoted urbanist!)Taking the planning from Rosemary Beach a step forward, the fronts of the houses face a common green with proper pedestrian walkways; these FEEL like the front entrance as opposed to the small boardwalks provided at Rosemary Beach at the 'front doors'.The white stucco is beautiful in the Florida sun and allows the different colored trim of each house to really stand out.This was another of my favorite houses, I loved the rooftop trellis which reminded me of ancient Roman dwellings.The alleys aren't unattractive either and have a beautiful cobblestone surface and planted trees (sad looking in winter without their leaves).Each development seems to improve as the design team alters the things that don't work from their previous schemes and I applaud the learning process. Yes, as you can tell, even though far from complete, I think Alys Beach is shaping up to be the best new urbanist town in Florida yet.