Paul Rudolph’s geometric masterpiece on the market for $4.45M

In 1961, Paul Rudolph, architect of Brutalist masterpieces and Sarasota Modern gems, finished what many consider his residential pièce de résistance: the Milam Residence, a striking house comprising rectangular frames and windows sitting right on the beach in Ponte Verda Beach, Florida.

Rudolph designed the home for attorney and arts patron Arthur Milam, and the house has remained in the family since.

Robert Champion courtesy the Paul Rudolph Heritage Foundation

Most people recognize the 6,800-square-foot home by the showstopping facade that Rudolph conceived as a puzzle of white geometric forms. But Rudolph spent just as much time considering the interior, which features nooks, expansive windows, and conversation pits designed to encourage socializing.

”Floors and walls are extended in elaborated forms toward the views, thereby making of the facade a reflection of the interior space,” Rudolph said of his design. “The brises-soleil also serve as mullions for the glass, turning the exterior wall into a series of deep openings filled only with glass. The exceptional wild Florida site 60 ft. above the Atlantic Ocean is a counterfoil to the geometry of the structure.”

Joseph W. Molitor architectural photographs. Located in Columbia University, Avery Architectural & Fine Arts Library, Department of Drawings & Archives. Courtesy the Paul Rudolph Heritage Foundation

Joseph W. Molitor architectural photographs. Located in Columbia University, Avery Architectural & Fine Arts Library, Department of Drawings & Archives. Courtesy the Paul Rudolph Heritage Foundation

The five-bedroom, five-bathroom home is optimized for its beachfront views with a living room and dining room framed by large ocean-view windows. Rudolph designed the house with distinct “zones” to cater to different moods, allowing people to gather in common areas and retreat to the more secluded bedrooms.

The Milam Residence, located at 1033 Ponte Vedra Boulevard, is currently on the market for $4,450,000. You can see more photos, present and past, over at the Paul Rudolph Heritage Foundation.

Robert Champion courtesy the Paul Rudolph Heritage Foundation