Harold Bubil’s Buildings I Love, No. 13: Guy Peterson’s Spencer House

The home of Gary and Beth Spencer at 101 Prospect St., Sarasota, was designed by architect Guy Peterson. It is among the most progressive, and controversial, houses ever built in the area.

For architects, there is a destiny even worse than possessing their get the job done rejected by consumers or criticized by the general public.

It is acquiring their get the job done ignored.

“I would somewhat do a dwelling that persons really don’t like than one they really don’t recognize,” architect Dude Peterson claimed following the completion of the bold, spectacular and controversial Spencer Household in 2013.

Peterson had almost nothing to fret about. The Spencer House generated as substantially community reaction, potentially extra, as Paul Rudolph’s groundbreaking Umbrella Home (Florida Buildings I Appreciate, No. 7) did in 1953. The Herald-Tribune ran an article about the residence on its entrance webpage.

“I think architecture should create some emotion,” Peterson reported.

The house is flooded with ambient light, but very little direct sunlight. The perforated wall faces south, but the angle of the sun in winter is not low enough for its rays to shine directly into the interior.

The Spencer Household, a research in geometric standpoint, is in particular notable simply because of its place. Lots of daring modern-day homes are hidden from vast general public see on the barrier islands or behind gates, or equally. But this dwelling is on chaotic South Orange Avenue, not far from downtown, and in full see of thousands of autos a working day.

It is also in an older community with quite a few standard residences. But householders Gary and Beth Spencer were not fearful to enable Peterson, an American Institute of Architects-Florida Gold Medal winner, make what is possibly the statement of his occupation.