The Van der Vlugt Residence, a highly acclaimed project by renowned Miami-based firm STRANG, has set a global benchmark for resilient modern architecture. Its status is cemented by significant, high-profile recognition, notably the AIA Florida Award of Excellence for New Work, AIA Miami Award of Excellence in Residential Architecture, and its selection as a World Architecture Festival Finalist.

This prestige is further amplified by its selection as the subject of the pilot episode for Sarasota School: A Living Legacy, a new documentary series by Architecture Sarasota that will further convey the home's status as a critical piece of 21st-century design.

The Van der Vlugt Residence is a sophisticated outpost along the Upper Florida Keys coastline that offers an unhurried, contextually-adaptive counterpoint to the complexities of the modern world. The project embodies the core principles of the historic Sarasota School of Architecture—specifically environmental adaptation and material experimentation—reimagined for today's climate challenges.

"We are immensely proud that the Van der Vlugt Residence has earned such significant recognition," notes Max Strang, Founder and Managing Partner of STRANG. "Being honored with multiple AIA awards, and named a World Architecture Festival Finalist, underscores the necessity of designing beautiful, yet resilient, structures that are deeply connected to Florida's unique coastal environment."

The design

Elevated ten feet off the ground to proactively address sea level rise and potential storm surge, the home presents as a floating volume veiled by sun-catching and shadow-casting louvers. Design highlights include:

• Resilient foundation: Elevated on robust concrete columns, the first level includes a 50-foot cantilever and partially engages a pre-existing berm, demonstrating both freedom and engagement with the low-lying landscape.

• Architectural artistry: The entry features a spiral staircase enveloped in cool gray microcement, acting as the "joint" where the home's curvature meets its axis, mimicking the site’s waterfront boundary.

• Climate control: Passive cooling strategies are employed through floor-to-ceiling windows for natural light and strategically placed louvers for shading.

• Material continuity: The rugged exterior of board-formed concrete flows into the interior spaces, creating striking visual contrasts, such as in the library against a curved white bookshelf. The owner’s suite even features metallic imprints of the board-formed concrete on a feature wall.

A living legacy: Documenting architectural evolution

Architecture Sarasota selected the Van der Vlugt Residence to anchor the launch of Sarasota School: A Living Legacy, set to premiere during a special screening event  as part of Open House Miami on February 28, 2026. The documentary series seeks to highlight the impact, evolution, and ongoing relevance of the Sarasota School a century after its inception.

"As we mark a century of design innovation in Sarasota, we celebrate that legacy not as a remnant of the past, but as a continually unfolding story," says Morris (Marty) Hylton III, President of Architecture Sarasota, explaining the contemporary focus. "The Sarasota School of Architecture is alive and well with a new generation of modernist designers engaging and evolving foundational concepts such as environmental adaptation and experimentation with materials and structure, among others."

The pilot episode, produced and directed by Ryan Lester, profiles the Van der Vlugt Residence as a case study for how modernist principles are being successfully adapted to meet the challenges of the early 21st century.