Luis Travieso
Located on a private island, the Indian Creek Residence offers t…
After years of increases, the average American home is coming down in size, from a peak of 2,268 square feet in 2006 to 2,100 in 2009. And NAHB says the downward trend is likely to last significantly into the future.
The truth, however, is that as long as there are wealthy individuals there will always be a market for large luxury homes—such as the Indian Creek Residence, a 30,000-square-foot home situated on a small island between mainland Miami and North Miami Beach.
Designed by Rene Gonzalez Architect for developers Felix Cohen and Shlomi Alexander, the sprawling home was conceived as a series of pavilions connected by outdoor spaces, lush gardens, courtyards, water elements, and shaded pathways.
The firm designed the spec home to take advantage of the Miami weather, so large sliding glass doors, sliding wooden louvers, and plenty of glass capture, filter, and reflect the surrounding water and the tropical sun.
“Stone walls create a sense of permanence, luxury, and timeless modernity,” the architecture firm says. “As these walls direct you through the project, they dissolve gently into the ever-present gardens. As a result of this layering of materials, both porous and opaque, the light is controlled by the architecture, thereby delivering orchestrated compositions of vivid light and shadow patterns.”
Sited on almost two acres, the home consists of 10 bedrooms, 14 bathrooms, and four half baths. It also includes ample outdoor spaces, including a 1,475-square-foot “green wall” that is planted with more than 17,000 tropical salt-tolerant plants in six wall sections.
The developers say this is the most expensive home in Miami’s history. As such, it includes five kitchens (including an entertainment kitchen and a catering kitchen), a rooftop lawn, an elevator, a 100-foot resort pool, a garage that can hold seven limos, and a private pier.
The home is currently listed for $60 million with The Jills real estate agency.