Wild at Heart - Jax Magazine February 2015

photos by WALLY SEARS
ut building at the beach, on the oceanfront, is an
altogether different sort of house-building experience.
Engineers have to consider wind speed in addition to
everything else required by the area’s rigorous code. An
oceanfront location put the home under the jurisdiction
of the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The DEP wants
your house to survive a storm not necessarily for the sake of the
homeowners, but for the damage it could cause to the dunes and
surrounding property were shingles and windows to come loose.
Because the DEP is empowered with a right to an opinion, homeowners
must apply for a building permit at the state level, in Tallahassee.
What takes two weeks locally, takes three to four months at the state
capital (and that’s just the time required to get the application in the
right hands).
Once permitted, the pouring of concrete begins. The Kanes were
building a three-story, 3,400-square-foot home, which required 40
concrete piles that were 27 feet deep. Starr added a crawlspace in
case of a high storm tide, and started the first floor seven feet up,
where he was also required to place two steel i-beams, 22 feet x 12
inches. It’s a huge investment, one that no one will ever see, and is
one of the less obvious reasons homes on the oceanfront are more
expensive. It’s not just the limited supply of lots with unobstructed
ocean views, but also the expensive way structures must be built.
The exterior is a striking combination of grays and black with a
fresh yellow front door. The materials of wood shaker and board and
batten siding, with a standing seam metal roof, are coastal
vernacular around here, made hip and edgier in black. Thanks to
foam insulation, the black has no impact on the temperature inside
the house.
66 | JACKSONVILLEMAG.COM FEBRUARY 2015