Rosemary Beach (Hardcover)

by Richard Sexton (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Designed by planning pioneers Andrés Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk--the same husband and wife team who rose to prominence for their design of Seaside--Rosemary Beach is a decidedly different community. Whereas Seaside evokes small-town America, Rosemary Beach evokes the ambiance of a preindustrial city, featuring a more urban landscape than previous New Urbanism developments.

Three concepts are integral to the design of Rosemary Beach homes. First, the incorporation of the European Colonial architecture of the West Indies and New Orleans, ideal for tropical climates, became the prototypical house design, including façade-length porches, large windows and doorways, and steep roofs. This design also mandates that the structure be raised on a masonry base so that the main living level is sufficiently elevated to catch the ocean breeze. Second, the building of a wooden frame above a masonry base, providing an enclosure for off-street parking as well as a guest unit, is an ingenious design that also makes the houses more private and secure. Rosemary Beach incorporates additional architecture and city planning designs from around the world: the public park layout evokes medieval Prague with its angular intersections balanced by small open spaces; the parapet walls on the community swimming pool exude the designs of Morocco and Spain; the boardwalks were inspired by Rockport, Maine; and the town hall proclaims a Dutch Colonial influence. Third, it was decided that cars should not be a dominant part of the Rosemary Beach streetscape, as they are in Seaside. This aesthetic evolved into the creation of alleyways interspersed between the major streets, providing vehicular access to the rear of the houses.

Renowned photographer Richard Sexton became an advocate of Rosemary Beach, finding it a positive example of how future communities can become better and more stimulating places. His admiration is palpable throughout this thoroughly descriptive and artful photo essay, which features a vicarious stroll through residential and civic buildings and public spaces, and details the prescribed house types that define the community. A secondary photo essay focuses on an intimate view of how residents live in Rosemary Beach. The final section provides a walking tour experience.

From the Publisher
A visual narrative of this groundbreaking New Urbanism development in the Florida Panhandle.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 159 pages
• Publisher: Pelican Publishing Company (March 15, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1589804031
• ISBN-13: 978-1589804036
• Product Dimensions: 11.7 x 8.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #435,625 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars snapshot of a new-urbanist masterpiece, September 30, 2007

By	Ross Cann "Artistic Architect" (Newport, RI) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book offers an attractive photographic portrait of Rosemary Beach Florida, a Duany Plater-Zybeck (DPZ) designed community. This beautifully executed tome shows the charm and character that can be achieved in a new community when the principles of good urban design are followed.

For anyone who decries the fact that they are no new porches being created on streets where kids can walk to neighborhood schools, this book is proof positive that you just aren't buying property from developers who have a proper view of the potential of new construction and good planning.