This Prairie Residence in Miami Beach, FL, does not sit on a prairie. But it does fit right in with the modern aesthetic coveted along this strand of desirable land.
“It’s definitely an incredible piece of art,” says the listing agent, Anna Sherrill with ONE Sotheby’s International Realty. “The architecture of this house is so stunning, you just walk around and ooh and aah at everything.”
Listed for $15,151,000, the 3,212-square-foot home was designed by the architect Rene Gonzalez. In contrast to the sleek white boxes that proliferate throughout this town, the walls of this home are mostly concrete. In a nod to the location, large retractable windows open completely to the outdoors.
“Nothing has ever been designed like this before. The walls are meant to float and kind of lean towards the sky,” Sherrill says. “There’s a lot of natural light brought into this house, and elements of the outdoors that give you an outdoor feel—like you’re not in the middle of Miami Beach and like you’re in a sanctuary.”
Each of the three bedrooms is separated from the main part of the house, offering a sense of space and seclusion.
“The way this owner lives, it’s very nice. He can have friends or family in their own areas, and then everybody gets together to hang out in the common areas,” she says.
The primary bedroom comes with a premium perk: Steps lead up to a rooftop terrace with a whirlpool. Each of the trio of bedrooms holds a surprise.
“Each other bedroom pod has stairs within them to what could be another sleeping space, a study space—like a space within a space,” Sherrill says.
Parking and storage sit underneath the structure, and the residence almost feels as if it is floating above the ground.
“You go up these stairs, and the pool is kind of in the middle of the living area. There are totally lush gardens around it,” Sherrill says.
Located on the first level, the pool is long and narrow, with seating and other outdoor space, including a shower and cabana, around it.
“The owner and his friends and family enjoy it year-round,” the agent adds. “The outdoor area is really an extension of the indoor space.”
Because of the light and the natural materials, like the wood floors, Sherrill says the house feels warm, despite the concrete slab walls.
“Sometimes concrete homes can feel kind of cold or sterile, but this brings in a lot of nature and a lot of the outside inside, so it feels very warm,” she says.
The home is custom-made from top to bottom. The current owner flew around the world to handpick items for his home, and completed it in 2017. He’s now ready to move on, but he may not move very far.
“He would love to have something on the water and would love to design another house for fun. He loves this house,” explains Sherrill. “I tell him if you find the right lot and build something else, you can do another design that is incredible, like this one, but just somewhere else.”
For the Prairie Home, Sherrill believes the perfect buyer would be someone who will appreciate the home’s unique design and construction.
“It’s really someone who loves art and who loves architecture,” she says, adding that it seems to impress anyone who comes to visit. “There are very few houses that are done like this. It’s a special house.”
Written and published at REALTOR.