Sarasota-based deisgn studio TOTeMS Architecture has designed the Caspersen Beach project. Completed in 2012, the contemporary beachside park pavilion can be found in the Sarasota County, Florida, USA.

This contemporary beachside park pavilion is an initiative by the Parks and Recreation Department to provide an iconic beach park restroom pavilion for the county that visiting beach-goers can easily identify. The beach pavilion is nestled within a nature preserve in a county-owned park along the Gulf of Mexico.

According to the architects: “Design inspiration was found in the coastal vegetation in this gulf-front park.  An abstract version of sea-oats was used as a continuous design theme throughout the park structure.

“The structure is nestled between two protected natural preserves. As one ascends the ramp the natural preserve encloses the building volumes which are oriented to provide enhanced views of the natural preserve and the Gulf of Mexico.  Turtle lighting provides an ambient glow of amber light

“The contemporary beachside pavilion has sustainable design features that include clerestory louvers for passive ventilation and skylights for daylight harvesting.  Cement-fiber siding, cast-in-place concrete and aluminum tube ‘sea-oats’ are the exterior materials selected for their ability to withstand the waterfront environment and seasonal weather.

“The design challenge was how to provide aesthetic vertical accessibility via ramp which was 120’-0” in length. The abstract use of ‘sea-oats’ as a screen element was used to unite the ramp with the building.”