Inside the Contemporary Reconstruction of Paul Rudolph’s Historic Florida Beach House

Seven decades after architect Paul Rudolph designed a pioneering Florida beach house for art collector Sewell C. Biggs, the Delray Beach residence has been given a new chapter – one that looks firmly to the future while remaining rooted in its 1950s origins.

Originally completed in 1955, the home was created as a glass pavilion elevated on exposed steel columns. Jalousie windows – made from tilting glass slats – allowed Atlantic breezes to move freely through the rooms, an essential feature in the pre-air-conditioning era. Its elevated, rectilinear form and exposed structure reflected Rudolph’s early contribution to what would become known as tropical modernism.

The Biggs Residence went on to receive a 1959 Merit Award from the American Institute of Architects’ Homes for Better Living programme. It was later designated a historic property and added to the City of Delray Beach Local Register of Historic Places in 2005.

A rare piece of architectural history

Nina and Michael Marco, founders of Casa de Marco Design, purchased the property in 2018. The pair were immediately drawn to the house’s architectural significance – despite its serious state of disrepair and the numerous additions that had accumulated over the years.

Then came an extraordinary discovery.

“Upon closing on the property and taking a tour, we uncovered a red velvet bag within one of the bedroom's closets,” says Nina. Inside were Rudolph’s original hand-drawn architectural plans, alongside photographs documenting the house in the 1950s.

The unexpected archive became an invaluable guide for the reconstruction, providing the couple with both the original design intent and a visual record of details that had long since disappeared.

Preserving the past, building for the future

The six-year restoration and reconstruction came with a particularly complex brief: how do you preserve a 1955 house while bringing it into line with the demands of 2020s living?

Working with architect Jeffrey Silberstein of Silberstein Architecture, Casa de Marco Design undertook a contemporary reconstruction with a USD 7 million budget. Among the biggest challenges was reconciling Rudolph’s original structure with modern building codes and Florida’s demanding hurricane and flood regulations.

The original steel structure was rehabilitated and raised to meet current coastal flood standards, while key architectural elements were meticulously recreated. These include the exposed structural steel beams and columns, expansive glass openings, aluminium louvers, and tongue-and-groove tropical hardwood siding.

“Every decision, from the aluminum louvers to the terrazzo underfoot, was an act of translation – carrying Rudolph’s 1950s vocabulary into a home built to withstand today's hurricanes and humidity,” says Nina.

The original two-bedroom, two-bathroom configuration was retained, preserving the proportions and character of Rudolph’s design.

Where old meets new

One of the most significant changes is found beneath the elevated structure. Originally an open-air entertainment area and carport, the space has been enclosed with expansive sliding glass panels. Today, it functions as a transparent, recessed living, dining and entertaining area, opening onto landscaped terraces and a sleek swimming pool.

A two-storey, glass-enclosed breezeway forms the connection between the original residence and a new addition designed by Silberstein. Concealed behind the historic structure, the addition respects the requirements of the property’s historic designation while introducing the amenities of contemporary living.

“The breezeway is the one place where old and new physically meet — original structure on one side, our addition on the other, joined by glass,” says the couple. “The past should not be roped off behind glass; it should be lived in, walked through, and built upon.”

A palette inspired by the coast

The interiors take their cues directly from the landscape. Sand, sea and sky inform a restrained palette of warm neutrals, natural stone and nut-tree wood tones, while white exterior surfaces allow the original steel structure to read like sculpture against the landscape.

Materials were chosen with both the period and the coastal environment in mind. Terrazzo, aluminium, glass, natural stone, and warm timber echo the material language of the 1950s while offering the durability required for life beside the Atlantic.

The custom terrazzo flooring features oyster pebbles and was refined and imported from Italy. In the kitchen, locally fabricated Poggenpohl cabinetry from Hausscape in Miami includes a floating island – a subtle reference to Rudolph’s own elevated architectural forms.

Throughout the house, contemporary pieces sit alongside objects with personal and historical significance, including family heirlooms, vintage Lalique glassware, and original 1950s photographs of the residence.

This marks a home that does not attempt to recreate the past as a museum piece. Instead, the Marcos have translated Rudolph’s ideas for a new generation – preserving the architecture’s defining elements while allowing the house to function as a modern coastal home.

It is, in many ways, a continuation of the original vision: architecture designed to engage with its environment, instead of retreating from it.

Credits

Contemporary reconstruction of the original design: Casa de Marco Design, Instagram @casademarcodesign

Architecture: Jeffrey Silberstein from Silberstein Architecture

Original design by the legendary Modernist architect Paul Rudolph

Interior Designer: Antonina Marco from Casa de Marco Design

Adviser/Builder: Michael Marco from Casa de Marco Design

Builder: Gary Miller

Photography (interior and exterior): Venjhamin Reyes, Instagram @venjhaminreyes

Stylist: Peggy Jordao

Portraits of the homeowners: Debra Somerville