BSL 2, Mississippi

via emerymcclure.com

The BSL 2 House is a Gulf-side 2nd home in the historically designated area of Bay St. Louis. It is not only the client’s second home but it is the second design and second site for the house. The simple goals for the home are to create a small interior 3 bedroom 2 bath house, efficient in space and low on maintenance while maximizing the exterior spaces. The more complicated goals include designing a house that can be open when occupied and closed when not as it is 300’ from the Gulf of Mexico and must be secure from storms. For anyone who lives in hurricane prone areas, “boarding up the house” is an important part of storm preparation as it not only protects the home but also the neighbor’s. The clients, who live just far enough away and along the major evacuation routes to make “boarding up” even more difficult than it already is, requested that the house could be boarded up as part of the design. They did not want the off-the-shelf hurricane shutters, they wanted large pieces of glass, and they wanted the house to look inviting even when it was closed for a storm or when the owners were away. Couple these goals with the historic district requirements and the design challenge is set.
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