Lamolithic House

Initially designed in 1948 by architects Paul Rudolph and Ralph Twitchell, this Lamolithic House was one of four speculative homes built on adjoining lots located on Siesta Key.

Built the same year by John “Jack” Lambie Jr., the construction utilized the Lamolithic method, experimenting with poured-in-place concrete roofs and structural walls formed with reusable steel forms that could be reconfigured for specific designs. These concrete structural elements, in conjunction with steel lally columns, allowed for open floor plans that maximized window walls and resulted in a continuous flow of space from the interiors to the outdoors.

As stated in a Sarasota Herald Tribune ad placed on November 2, 1950: “Build Lamolithic. It Pays three Ways. Everlasting reinforced concrete, highest in comfort, lowest in upkeep. Safe from storms and termites…"

Hive Architects is honored to be working on the restoration and addition of this historic home. The proposed rendering illustrates the sight lines to the existing house through the addition. Careful analysis of the existing structure resulted in a simple structural solution, utilizing two parallel poured-in-place concrete shear walls separated from the current home by glazed openings. This maximizes the sight lines and the expression of the existing shear walls both on the exterior approach and at the interior spaces. The new shear walls of the addition differentiate themselves in terms of expression, as the existing walls are plaster-finished and painted white. In contrast, the proposed addition will be exposed architectural concrete. This pays homage to the lamolithic construction method by revealing the material as an expression of the underlying structure.

Location:
Siesta Key | Sarasota, Florida

Status:
Completion, 2025