Pool pavilion addition to a single family residence, Sarasota, FL.

Jesse Balaity's own home and workspace, his second personal new construction project in Gillespie Park.

Conceptual design for a series of new residences in Sarasota.

This new 2,200 SF single family home in Sarasota's Gillespie Park neighborhood was completed in 2021 as a second home for a Washington D.C. couple.

A modern duplex on a Gillespie Park infill site will be home to lifelong friends occupying the ground floor and upper residences with a shared courtyard.

This modern new home is scheduled for completion in 2021. The large site offers generous views of the intracoastal waterway. Each space is designed to take advantage of those views, with expansive glass and a minimalist palette of materials. The 4,700 SF home is designed to support the owners' health and exercise focused lifestyle.

An unusually shaped site with setback constraints led to a unique design approach for Rebecca Lane. The 5,500 SF residence includes two levels of living space above car storage and a covered pool plaza. Walls of glass take advantage of water views to the north for all living spaces and the four bedroom suites. Multiple terraces and balconies promote outdoor living, with large openings for cross ventilation.

Completed in 2015 in Sarasota's Gillespie Park, this three-unit home marries a modern aesthetic with the varied ranch, Mediterranean, and bungalow style homes prevalent in the neighborhood. Photography credit: The Greg Wilson Group Landscaping: Robert Davie & Associates General Contractor: Synergy Building Corp.

This residential remodel in Sarasota will transform a 1960s ranch house into a modern retreat.

This competition entrance is for a family retreat set in a native Florida tree canopy.

Residence designed on speculation to be built in Gillespie Park, continuing a modern interpretation of the neighborhood vernacular design language.

Planned for the historic Gillespie Park neighborhood north of downtown Sarasota, this pair of townhouses represents a modern interpretation of the neighborhood's diverse vernacular style. See "Gillespie Park Multifamily 2" for the built project at this site.

This renovation of this 1980s canal front ranch house will start in Fall 2013. The renovations occur entirely within the existing building envelope, and within a budget limited by FEMA. The renovated home will serve as a vacation getaway, accommodating extended family in a casual setting.

This new single family home in Sarasota's West of Trail neighborhood is in final design stages, with construction slated to start in August 2013.

This is a study for an infill condominium project. The goal was to maximize the value of a small downtown Sarasota site without the construction of a multilevel parking garage.

affiliation: ADP Group | role: project designer & project manager | Florida Studio Theatre operates an internship program for young actors, directors, and production staff in its three Sarasota theaters. FST sought a consolidated intern housing solution that would provide housing for twenty-two students for three to nine month internship periods. The program included single occupancy bedrooms with shared bathrooms, bedroom suites for equity actors, and shared living and cooking facilities. The Owner also required an energy efficient building with theatrical design elements to foster environmental and cultural stewardship. The site is only twenty feet deep on the ground and extends over the adjacent property via an air rights agreement on the second floor. This arrangement required compact circulation cores and unique plans for each unit.

In this renovation of my own residence, I sought to update a home constructed in 1991 with a modern plan and materials palette. Kitchen renovations opened up the space to the adjacent dining room, while retaining some formal separation with three vertically proportioned openings. A new island orients the preparation area towards sliding glass doors with a distant view, rather than facing an opening to the dining room. The master suite renovations include a new materials palette, millwork, and frameless glass shower in place of a more enclosed existing shower.

affiliation: ADP Group | role: project designer | Addition of a new guest wing and renovation of pool area, including new outdoor living room and fountain.

affiliation: Robert McNichols| role: project designer | Renovation of an existing 1970s Longboat Key condominium for an arts collector. A modern millwork scheme wraps the core service spaces, from kitchen through master dressing room, integrating mechanical systems, incorporating artwork, and maximizing storage in a small space. A new kitchen plan opens up the once closed area to become part of the living spaces and take advantage of Gulf of Mexico views.