Property of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Friedland, Miami Beach | architect Edwin T. Reeder

10/31/2025 12:00:00 AM

In sun-drenched Miami Beach, the main object is to spend a maximum time out-of-doors, yet be shaded from the sun. While you want to be cooled by every passing breeze, you must also be protected from sudden changes of weather. This house, designed for Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Friedland by architect Edwin T. Reeder, does all of these things besides taking advantage of more than the usual share of tropical greenery and blue water. Facing Biscayne Bay is the louvered gallery you see on the opposite page, which protects it from storms and keeps it deliciously cool. The house is long and luxurious and includes a large drive-in court, a playground terrace, and a glass-louvered garden patio. All the main rooms of the house open onto this patio, which also serves as an entrance. An open, screened section in its roof lets in sun and stars and, thanks to a natural law of suction, draws off hot air. Large-scaled tropical plants give the feeling of being outdoors. On the terrace side, the living rooms and bedrooms have entire walls of sliding glass panels shaded by a louvered outrigger. Each bedroom opens onto its own garden plot and, beyond it, to the pool. Brick, local woods, and stone, all of which require a minimum of refinishing, give contrasting exterior textures which will improve with age. The house is completely air-conditioned with zoned controls so that one or more sections can be closed off. The color scheme is brick and coral pinks, deep tropical greens, and natural wood tones.