Introduction | Crosswinds Apartment
Crosswinds Apartments, situated on Fort Walton Beach on the Emerald Coast of Florida, has been designed for short and long-term rentals for families to experience the Florida lifestyle in an ‘affordable luxury’ module. Built between 2013 and 2019, these apartments offer the semblance of a higher form of living – walk-in closets, private garages, semi-open patios, and vaulted ceilings with extra loft spaces.
The project began in the year 2013 as commercial contractors, Robert Fisher Signature Homes, decided to venture into luxury rentals as a commercial investment. The entire apartment complex of Crosswinds was built in three phases, with each phase being added according to the popularity of the apartments in the previous phase. The first leases went underway in the middle of 2018, much before the completion of the third phase of the project.
Planning & Design
The property is a combination of 176 apartments divided into house sizes of 1, 2, and 3 bedrooms. This gated community also houses a spacious clubhouse & community centre, a large amoebic swimming pool within a central courtyard, a fitness centre, and several landscape elements, such as secluded picnic areas and a long, winding jogging track. All planned as single-floor apartments, the complex is a combination of two- and three-story structures, with one apartment per floor of each building. The campus as a whole has been designed to replicate a residential neighbourhood in the suburbs of an American city.
The planning of the individual units has been done keeping in mind the necessity of the apartments looking luxurious. Large portions of the floor area have been allotted to the living room and the bedrooms, while the walk-in closets, toilets, and kitchens have been laid out as small as possible. The designer has been successful in achieving this distinction, too. In the larger units, such as the 3BHK with two baths, provision has also been made for a balcony, or a terrace, leading from the living room. It is also noticed that although all requirements are being met in each apartment layout, the flow of the plan – living first, kitchen second, rooms third – is not followed.
The Construction | Crosswinds Apartment
This apartment complex has been designed as a takeaway from a form of architecture called Georgian, where Greek and Roman architectural elements were revived during the Renaissance to be used in the design of houses and public buildings suited to a more modern setting. Since the Crosswinds Apartments complex was constructed as a residential project, the owners switched to Mock Georgian façade designs – a lesser ornamental or debased style than the original Georgian form. The design of these houses are characterized by identical facades, pitched roofs, terraced fronts, and manicured gardens in the front and back yards.
Although most of these units are rented without furniture, some apartments have been furnished and are rented along with the furniture. These interior layouts vary between transitional interior design (a combination of modern and traditional elements) and mid-century modern furniture.
A combination of exposed masonry and readymade panels – possibly cement sheets or PVC – have been used in the facades of the buildings to replicate the Georgian theme. The design of the complex includes the use of several standardized sized elements to reduce construction costs – windows, railings, roof sheets, and kitchen & bathroom fittings, among others. Colours are kept within the neutral palette so that the houses suit every user without bias – this continues to the interiors as well. The design and construction of the units were all done in the normal pattern of reinforced cement concrete and masonry – with inserts of prefabricated structures as required, such as the stairs.
Sustainability
The entire community residing at Crosswinds Apartments participates in the recycling of all waste coming out of their homes. The presence of plenty of windows and doors through each unit of the complex gives access to natural light and ventilation. These openings, windows particularly, allow sunlight and air into the apartments, allowing cross ventilation and reducing the use of air conditioners as well as heaters during the colder months.
Conclusion | Crosswinds Apartment
The Crosswinds Apartments on Fort Walton Beach in Florida is an example of the new-age residential situation in the country of the USA. As land and property prices soar, couples and families these days prefer to rent and lease places to live in, rather than spend all their savings on one property, which may need to be helped by loans and installment-based payments. As is typical in every urban city around the world, the residential suburbs are the places where homeowners gather. Thus, the Crosswinds Apartments have duplicated this neighbourhood in a rental residents’ format, complete with recreational amenities. This complex may be a forerunner in the new revolution of the housing market – home-like apartments designed within large gated communities rather than tall, unseeing buildings of housing.
References:
- Berkadia (https://base.berkadia.com/aboutus/newsroom/berkadia-arranges-sale-and-financing-of-florida-multifamily-portfolio/)
- Crosswinds Apartments Website (https://www.crosswindsftwalton.com/)
- Get the Coast, Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/getthecoast/videos/2116158385317153/)
