Conch House

Conch House

A conch house is a style of architecture generally found in tropical climates, especially in the Bahamas and Florida Keys. These homes are "typified by a rectangular floor plan and mass with a full-façade porch, raised foundation and tall sash windows with louvers." [City of Clearwater, Florida, Downtown Plan, Appendix 5, Definitions] With stylistic roots from the Bahamas, New England and Africa, conch homes blend wood, Gulf Coast, Caribbean and New England elements.

Characteristics

Conch homes are built to be energy-efficient and fare well in warm, tropical climates. All the defining characteristics play a role in keeping the home cool, well-ventilated and weather-proof.

*Metal roofs: used to deflect the sun. Roofs are also pitched.

*Pillars or piers: homes sit atop pillars, which allows for air circulation and cooling while keeping the foundation free from rot.

*Roof hatches: incorporated to increase ventilation (a concept borrowed from ship design).

*Louvered window shutters: shield the interior from daytime heat. The slats permit breezes to circulate. Hurricane shutters also provide protection from strong winds.

*Porches and verandahs: offer shaded areas and an overall cooling element.

*Room structure: cube-like design to withstand hurricanes.

*Exterior walls: lack the usual horizontal blocks between studs in the wall to allow air to circulate from the crawl space to the attic.

*Dormers: allow for attic space to be transformed into bedrooms or additional living space.

History

Early settlers in the Bahamas and Florida Keys produced a lime, which was a product in the mortar mixture including water and sand, by burning conch shells. Conch shells were also used in place of bricks and stones in the home building process. [ [http://www.floridakeysbest.com/key_west_conch_style/nfch.htm Conch House Architecture] ]

Later, when wood was more readily available, these homes were also referred to as conch homes and they used a combination of architectural styles. Borrowing from classical New England architecture, many conch homes can be found to exhibit the Victorian style.

References

External links

* [http://www.lakeworth.org/vertical/Sites/%7B5E6FE119-0228-4C9B-B2DB-067168049C16%7D/uploads/%7B5DB44609-90A1-4F6B-9B58-E2C23778CF84%7D.PDF Florida Architectural Styles]


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