Apollo Beach · 2023
Apollo Beach sunset
West-facing canal lot where the whole build was organised around one thing: where people would be standing at sunset.
The build
A canal lot facing due west. The clients had lived there six years and described the same routine every evening, standing at the seawall with a drink, and every version of the yard we drew had to serve that.
So the seating is at the water end, not against the house. The spa is raised on the north side so it does not sit between the terrace and the sunset, and the two fire bowls are on the canal side at seated eye level. The kitchen is deliberately tucked back against the house where nobody has to face away from the view to cook.
The pool itself is the simplest one in this portfolio. It did not need to be the interesting part.
One detail
Fire bowls on a west-facing lot
Gas fire features on a canal read as silhouettes against the sky rather than as light sources, so they belong low and in front of you, not high and behind. Both bowls sit at 20 inches, level with someone seated, and the burners are wind-shielded on the water side because a canal at dusk always has a breeze.
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