Seacoast Bank has been serving Stuart and much of Florida for over 90 years. Their corporate offices in 1961 pushed the design envelope, as it was capable of withstanding 110-mph winds and included passive design features (such as the iconic gold-finished solar screen). Located in the town of Stuart with a population of around 17,000, the site is located adjacent to the St. Lucy River and Estuary. This estuary is an "ecological jewel" because it had, at one point, the most diverse estuarine environment in North America with more than 4,000 plant and animal species once living here. Sadly in the last 40 years, this ecosystem has suffered due to human development.

 

With the project's adjacency to this ecological jewel, we look to expand upon Seacoast's passive building design as we shift the focus towards helping to restore the damaged ecosystem through responsible site design. This project can inspire the town of Stuart to be more conscious of the positive impact that responsible site design and flexible building spaces can have on people and our environment.