The courtyard foundations, concrete retaining wall rings set on piles and elevated 3’ above the grade, have multiple functions. They act as piers upon which the elevated house sits, reducing the footprint of the house on the ground and minimizing the floodwater it displaces in a storm. The gardens within each courtyard function as rainwater storage and filtering devices, preventing erosion and improving groundwater quality. Layers of soil, gravel, and sand in the gardens quickly accept a large volume of roof runoff but slowly filter and disperse it into the aquifer only after the storm subsides.

The intimacy of the courtyards and private pavilions is contrasted by the openness of the public spaces between them, as well as their connection to the landscape. The roof structure sits atop the pavilion structures creating a higher ceiling height in the interstitial spaces. The outside walls of these spaces are operable glass doors that completely disappear into the walls when the weather allows, dissolving the barrier to the outside. In this configuration the public living space becomes a seamless extension of the exterior deck, the private pavilions become individual cabins in the landscape, and the halls become outdoor boardwalks connecting them. The exterior material palette of ipe siding, decking, and copper soffits continues through these indoor/outdoor public spaces to further dissolve the boundary between exterior and interior.