THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN'!

Designs for the construction of a “timeless” 9,000 sq ft one-story contemporary house passed the approval of the Palm Beach Architectural Commission.  The ¾ acre lot at 430 North Lake Way has 115’ of ICW waterfront.  The forthcoming long lean house with a flat roof will cover 2/3 of the lot at 430 North Lake Way.  A straight-lined entablature with horizontal quartzite panels from Spain will define the roof line.  The façade will feature floor-to-ceiling glass windows with rear windows and doors positioned to maximize the water views.

Before approval was issued, there was much discussion about the planned for 12’ privacy hedge, typical of Palm Beach landscaping.  The landscape architect said the hedge would only be broken in two places to accommodate the 12’ driveway.  Some Commissioners felt that would block views of the architecture and the landscape architect said it would mimic similar neighborhood landscaping.  He was asked to revise the hedge design so passersby could see the architecture.  Only one Commissioner objected to the architecture, the rest were in favor of the design.

In past years there has been much controversy over building contemporary-style houses with some feeling these homes will change the architectural fabric of the area.

A local architect told the board that “Palm Beach "has a long history of really great but limited modern architecture". Most commissioners heartily embraced the design, one Commissioner, an architect, said that, “This is truly another gem that we will have here…I am happy to support you.”

One next door property is Mediterranean, the other is Key West and one Commissioner objected to the house being “too dissimilar” from the others.  None of the neighbors objected to the design and one actively supported it.  One Commissioner said that she did not see “any continuity” in the immediate area anyway.”  The new owner is a former Goldman Sachs executive who retired recently as co-head of global mergers and acquisitions, and is now a partner in another investment bank, Centerview Partners.  The couple paid $15.66mm for the property a few months after he resigned.