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Why
Build on "Old Florida" Style Home? |
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| Florida Heritage
Architecture. |
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| J.
F. Smith: The Right Choice |
| Those of us at J. F. Smith know
that the "Old Florida" style home is more
than a basic 1950's style stucco structure with
a metal roof added, because our childhood homes,
the homes of our grandparents and great-grandparents,
were truly genuine Florida homes. J. F. Smith is
a fifth generation Floridian, whose family has been
in the building and building materials business
for over 80 years. Both sides of his family owned
lumber and hardware supply companies in central
Florida prior to World War I, and his heritage taught
him the value of a well designed, properly built
home. Beyond that, a lifetime of studying Florida
homes has given him a tremendous appreciation and
love for the classic " Old Florida" style. |
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Usually,
true “ Old Florida” style buildings are found
in the heart of the state, in towns that are not often
discovered by our newer residents. Places like Madison,
Micanopy, Wauchula, and Arcadia are not busy by the standards
of coastal Florida, but they are generally full of beautiful
examples of the past. A past that did not include air-conditioning forced our houses to respond to, and belong in, the environment
rather than fight against it. |
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"Old
Florida" construction can also include the Spanish
influence of Florida's early settlers. A style often referred
to as "Spanish Mission" displays the colors
and building styles of the Mediterranean adapted to Florida.
This sturdy construction lends itself well to Florida's
climate, and contributes to a low maintenance home which
is easily cooled and well insulated from our sub-tropic
heat. |
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These
simple, utilitarian designs that incorporated high ceilings,
expansive porches, and tall windows often created dignified
forms bred from the traditions of building handed down
from grandfathers to fathers to sons. J. F. Smith is a
graduate of the University of Florida where he received
a degree in Building Construction from the College of
Architecture. He then began a home-building business with
the intention of constructing homes suited to Florida’s
history and environment. |
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J.
F. Smith has begun a focus on Florida vernacular architecture
through self-study and classes given by the Institute
of Classical Architecture & Classical America (www.classicist.org).
This has led him to an improved understanding of the influences
inherent in the design of this style home, and allowed
him to incorporate his knowledge of leading edge materials
and building techniques to create modern day examples
of our rich Florida heritage. |
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