Posted on 08/31/2017 8:01:33 AM PDT by BenLurkin
Last week, the owner of the ramshackle circular home on San Remo Drive — known by many locals as the “UFO Home” due to its flying saucer-like appearance — submitted for a building demolition permit through the village.
... Brett Ekblom, whose company will be handling the work for the property owner, didn’t provide a tentative date for the home’s removal but said he has up to two years from approval of the permit to begin.
...
The unique home dates back to the late 1970s, according to records. Miami architect Peter Vander Klout is credited with designing it.
...
The top concrete portion of Vander Klout’s homes were built first and then hydraulically-lifted onto the bottom half. Pylons were put in place to hold the weight of it, around 280 tons. Then the exterior walls were put up around it all.
...
Locally, the all-white home, with its rounded design, sits on a corner waterfront lot on Snake Creek in Venetian Shores. It is visible from Snake Creek Bridge. The doughnut hole-like center features an open-air deck and pool, which was said to have been requested by the original owner because his daughter was training for the Olympics. The property also features a dirt ramp once routinely used to accommodate seaplanes landing in the creek.
...
Some neighbors are pleased to hear that the home is reaching the end of its life.
“We’re glad to see it going,” Venetian Shores Neighborhood Association member Ken Davis said. “It brings a lot of unwanted attention, which usually involves trespassing, and quite frankly it’s just a nuisance.”
(Excerpt) Read more at keysnews.com ...
Interesting layout. Might work well in a modern monolithic dome.
Video: https://youtu.be/ywOsskkKfdw
Related link: https://www.islamoradatimes.com/islamoradas-ufo-house/
I loved going to college in the 70’s but it was a horror in a lot of ways. My high school kids could not believe that we got away with everything.
Don’t be surprised if a beam of red light comes from the house and the bulldozer disappears.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the concrete structure is hurricane proof unlike what will be built there after the demolition.
In its prime, it must have been mighty nice.
“the all-white home”
Check out the “Water” in that pool!
I know that house. That is in Islmorada in Snake Creek.
My kids call it the Mario house because it looks like a Super Mario mushroom.
There’s one similar on Signal Mt. near Chattanooga too.
Earl Morrall owned one of these homes. It is still standing.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/26°04’03.1”N+80°17’31.9”W
Add hinged thick steel shutters, and it looks like it would be bullet resistant
I almost bought one of these round houses in Hereford, AZ back about twenty years ago. If it had been closer to Hwy 10, I probably would have.
31°23’08.8”N 110°09’09.3”W
Looks like it was HORRIBLE even when brand new.
Obviously money does not account for taste.
yuck
Thanks for that link. Even though I've lived my entire life in New York State, I became a huge fan of the Colts, then in Baltimore, following their '71 Super Bowl victory over the Dallas Cowboys, with him as the QB, after Johnny Unitas suffered a rib injury in the 2nd quarter.
Earl Morrall's House (Former)
Interesting
Unusually shaped houses are difficult to furnish and so conventional rectangles continue to rule the day. That’s not to say that some of them aren’t desirable for other reasons, for instance a geodesic dome is structurally far stronger than conventional framed residential construction. Or, those Deltec pedestal houses, sometimes called “Rondettes.” They can be put in places where a conventional structure just could not be built, and disrupt the landscape far less, since the foundation is a pedestal and far smaller than the house itself. I’ve been admiring one of those in the Highlands-Cashiers area of North Carolina, quite a deal for the (expensive) area considering the view, location and square footage. It’s languished on the market for the better part of two years. If it gets below $100K I might try to pull it off, since ROI from a weekly vacation rental would likely more than carry the note and property management fees.
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