U.S. firm Alfonso Architects has designed the Streamsong Resort located in Polk County, Florida. Nestled in the Bone Valley, the 16,000-acre property includes a 316,000-square-foot lodge, 42,000-square-foot golf clubhouse, four restaurants, spa and conference centre. As well as designing the two buildings, lead architect Alberto Alfonso, AIA, also designed custom lighting, furnishings, spa products, staff uniforms and signage. The resort, located between Tampa and Orlando, is situated on formerly mined phosphate land owned and developed by the Mosaic Company, the world’s leading producer of crop nutrients. Both the golf clubhouse and lodge have won 2014 Florida AIA Design Awards of Excellence.
Alfonso designed a vertical building strategy for the lodge grounded in the pre-historic terrain. There are four zones: Submersion (AquaPietra spa, Breezeway, SottoTerra fine dining); Bank (public spaces and the Leaf lobby); Canopy (216 guest rooms with custom floor-to-ceiling wood louvers, furnishings, paintings, bookshelves); and Sky (Fragmentary Blue rooftop lounge, inspired by the Robert Frost poem); together they represent a natural correlation to the unique characteristics of landscape and climate. The history, geology, foliage and celestial sky influenced material palettes, texture and colours. Limestone, cedar, cherry, teak and walnut were used as warm natural extensions of the land. Hand-crafted mosaics, Venetian plaster and cast-in-place architectural concrete produce surface texture. Alfonso, an exhibiting artist, created a series of abstract paintings, murals, engravings and sculpture that enliven Streamsong with fine art.
“Streamsong is a celebration of reclamation, of both land and spirit. Since the mining has stopped, nature has taken over and provided us with the perfect inspiration,” says Alfonso. “Enormous grass dunes, our brilliant Florida light, water bodies stretching to the horizon teeming with fish and wildlife, a fertile and varied landscape, are all reflected in the design consciousness of Streamsong. The rooftop veranda offers a limitless view of our Florida sunsets and embraces the clear rural night sky.”
ALL ABOUT ALFONSO ARCHITECTS INC.
Alfonso Architects, Inc. is a 35-person architectural design firm with current offices in Tampa, Florida; Philadelphia; Pennsylvania; and Milan, Italy. The firm was founded in 1988 by Cuban born brothers Carlos and Alberto Alfonso and Angel del Monte. Alfonso Architects has won over 40 project-specific AIA Design Awards. Representative design projects include the Nielsen Media Research Global Technology Center, a 650,000-square-foot office and technology campus in Oldsmar, Florida; and the Tampa International Airport Southwest Airlines Terminal, a 110,000-square-foot airside. Both of these projects received the AIA Award of Honor.
Philosophically, Alberto Alfonso’s design process relies on the development of a project-specific architectural design idea that is grounded in site, program history and region. An accomplished painter, Alfonso’s process also utilizes painting, sketching, wood and steel models, along with 3D computer technology to investigate design solutions. His work is heavily influenced by climate and the celebration of light referencing his Cuban heritage. There is a strong emphasis on materiality investigation to achieve an architectural expression that is both timeless and vigorous in detail.
For more information, http://alfonsoarchitects.com/
ALL ABOUT STREAMSONG RESORT
Located between Tampa and Orlando, Streamsong Resort has been developed by the Mosaic Company and is founded on a commitment to its surrounding resources. From awe-inspiring golf courses and enchanting nature trails to sumptuous dining and ethereal spa experiences, Streamsong will operate in concert with its environment. This appreciation for the land’s inherent beauty creates an unparalleled luxury resort. Streamsong’s resort facilities are operated by Interstate Hotels & Resorts and its golf operations are managed by KemperSports.
For more information, visit http://www.streamsongresort.com./