News | advice | area guide

‘Mind-Blowing’ Milam House Is a Modernist Marvel on the Beach

Most beachcombers consider it a lucky day if they find an intact sand dollar or a large conch shell. But if you’re looking for something even more architecturally compelling, the Paul Rudolph–designed Milam house in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, is the seaside find of your dreams.

The five-bedroom, five-bath home is now on the market for $4.7 million. Its 6,858 square feet of luxe living space sit on approximately 2.1 oceanfront acres.

Modernist star Rudolph built the home in 1961, during his tenure as chairman of the art and architecture department at Yale University, on a commission from local lawyer Arthur Milam. It was the only house Rudolph designed in the area and reportedly one of his favorite designs.

He designed the uniform concrete blocks around a multilevel, centralized layout, focusing on the interior-exterior dynamic. Architectural Record named it House of the Year in 1963, and it’s considered a pivotal work in Rudolph’s career.

“This is really a substantial home with his designs,” says listing agent Clare Berry. “It’s a maturation of what he was trying to attain—he put more emphasis in this house on the inside-outside relationship.”

The home wraps around a front courtyard featuring a large swimming pool. Inside, a high-ceilinged living area with large windows opens to the back view of the beach. Smaller surrounding rooms designed for conversation complement the openness of the living room. Their features include fireplaces, libraries, conversation pits, and even a bar, enhanced by the original terrazzo and wood floors.

“The house flows beautifully,” says Berry. “They call it the house of seven levels, which would be off-putting to some people, but they’re gradual and they just define the different spaces. It’s very, very interesting.”

The master bedroom features a southeast-facing window with ocean views that can be enjoyed directly from bed; there’s even a narrow window in the shower of the master bath. A separate guesthouse features a lofted bedroom and equally enticing ocean views. Out back, there’s a multilevel deck with two sets of off-center stairs leading to the beach.

“He had something to work with, and he had fun with it,” Berry says. “It’s a joy to show it—people’s eyes just get really big because there’s nothing quite like it.”

She adds:  “The east-facing facade is so mind-blowing, it’s so stunning. It’s what everybody knows, it’s what I studied in architecture school. You just look at it and say ‘wow, what’s happening here.’ It draws your eye and it draws your interest—all the glass is reflecting the ocean and the sky. It’s a very brilliant statement. It’s unlike anything else on our beach.”

The post ‘Mind-Blowing’ Milam House Is a Modernist Marvel on the Beach appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

Source: Real Estate News and Advice – realtor.com » Real Estate News