Morningside Residence
Morningside Residence by Brillhart Architecture doesn’t impose on the landscape; it emerges from it.
The site of Morningside Residence is defined by its remarkable trees: a broad mature canopy of oaks and, at its heart, a specimen Dade County pine, as though the house was always meant to grow among them.
The property had been used as a garden: set aside, untamed and largely hidden until new owners Theodore and Belinda Stohner stumbled across it by chance. Despite its overgrown wilderness, they saw the existing canopy not as an obstacle but as the soul of the project, bringing in Brillhart Architecture to build around it.
The historic character of the neighbourhood made tree preservation central to the design from the outset. Known for its architectural eclecticism, Morningside’s homes may vary in style, but they share a common relationship with thoughtfully designed tropical landscapes.
“To protect as many trees as possible, we went with a fractured design approach: creating a courtyard complex orientated on the south-eastern side of the lot, composed of four buildings connected by glass passageways and open-air bridges,” shares Melissa Brillhart of Brillhart Architecture. This layout placed a central garden at the heart of the project, allowing every room to look out onto greenery and translating the neighbourhood’s emphasis on landscape into the scale of a single home.
At Morningside Residence, the experience of living becomes less about looking out at nature than inhabiting it.
The design takes cues from the Sarasota School of Architecture and its tradition of tropical modernism, which looked to local climate, landscape and materials to inform the build. A steel-and-glass structure, narrow footings and cantilevered walls protect the root systems below while lending the building a sense of lightness, as though Morningside Residence is floating above the ground.
Inside, the earthy palette carries through without interruption. Muted grey plaster walls run throughout the home, including in the upper kitchen joinery, while tactile, organic finishes give each room a feeling of depth. Wide-plank timber floors by Dinesen and natural stone complete the picture.
“Structure and materials work harmoniously, ensuring the architecture remains visually subordinate to the landscape, creating the experience of living seamlessly within a tropical hardwood hammock,” Brillhart says.
For the interiors, owner Theodore brought his own eye to the project, drawing on a personal collection assembled over many years. “A few pieces had been in storage, awaiting the right home I’d been imagining for a long time,” he explains. “All the furniture is made of wood, keeping the material palette to timber, plaster and steel throughout.”
Pierre Jeanneret chairs and a teak-and-cane bench sit alongside Studio Mumbai pieces in teak, rosewood and rope, each rooted in traditions of tropical making. Above the dining table, blown-glass pendants by Analog Glass in Berlin hang like sculptures. The bedrooms are sparsely furnished, allowing the surfaces, light and views of the garden and lap pool captivate the eye.
This is a project designed to feel inseparable from its surrounding landscape. Timber exteriors help the home recede rather than impose, while floor-to-ceiling glass doors draw in breezes and light. At Morningside Residence, the experience of living becomes less about looking out at nature than inhabiting it.
