Birdcage

Located on Greater Pinellas Point at the south end of St. Petersburg, FL, this mid-century single-family residence is one of 13 known Birdcage Houses built between 1954 and 1958. Architect Glenn Q. Johnson, AIA, designed this group of houses, all with a unique floor plan, to provide comfort without air conditioning in the tropical Florida climate. By strategically orientating each structure on their respective sites, the main longitudinal facade is exposed to the prevailing south and east breezes from nearby waterways to maximize airflow. Surrounding the elevated living floor, the floor-to-roofline screened terraces are indicative of the Birdcage nickname. Originally called the “Vision-Aire” houses, this fundamental principle allows the interior spaces to be 10 to 12 degrees cooler and provides climatic comfort to the occupants.

Except for repairing or replacing the original exterior materials and enclosing the ground floor, which was initially open-air, the house suffered minimal modifications over the years. However, better suited for a 1950s lifestyle and no longer compliant with today’s building codes, the new Owners decided to initiate a phased renovation that would not only preserve the charm and nostalgia of the Birdcage design but also provide a fresh outlook on their modern lifestyle. This modernization aspect of the renovation plan brings an exciting potential for transforming their home.

The exterior envelope needs repair to prevent exposure to tropical weather, so the first phase of the renovation focuses on replacing the roof cover, wood siding and water-tight vapor barrier and installing code-compliant impact-resistant windows and doors. Sensitive to the initial design, these new finishes only minimally impact the house's aesthetic as their location, scale, and proportion only slightly deviate from the original materials to ensure their function and performance.

The next phase concentrates on the indoor-outdoor concept of the Birdcage House and the Owners’ desire to reinforce this notion by beautifying the surrounding landscape for entertainment and daily activities. While a pool was added in 2005, its surroundings were deprived of functional space dedicated to outdoor entertainment. A new pavilion adjacent to the pool provides shade and a dedicated outdoor living and dining space. Lush indigenous plant material strategically implanted onto the property serves several functions. Located along the site walls, it provides privacy from the neighboring properties. While meandering from the front to the back of the property, it defines pedestrian pathways and the guest parking area. Another aspect of this phase involves adding a two-car garage on the house's southern side. For car collectors, it was paramount for the Owners to incorporate a detached structure that would be sensitive to the aesthetic of the original house. While simple in form, the new structure incorporates similar exposed stacked masonry blocks as the main structural component, identical vertical wood siding, and a concrete slab roof mimicking the lines of the exposed elevated floor slab of the Birdcage house.

While updated and adequately maintained over the years, the final phase of the work involves a modest cosmetic renovation of the interior finishes, such as flooring, cabinetry, and paint.

Location:
St. Petersburg, Florida

Status:
Completion, 2025