Shalimar Beach Resort

In 2022, Hurricane Ian ripped through Southwest Florida and devastated Sanibel Island, destroying its causeway, lighthouse, and ripping entire buildings from their foundations, sending them flying into neighboring yards across the street. Notable in the damage left by the hurricane was the complete destruction of the historic Shalimar Beach Resort. Architecture Joyce Owens was approached by Shalimar’s owner just weeks after Ian to discuss the process of re-building.

Shalimar Beach Resort is a hotel that accommodates 33 guest rooms within six buildings: a 2-story hotel building houses 21 guest rooms with on-site laundry facilities; four duplexes and a fourplex building accommodate 12 one- and two-bedroom guest suites. A seventh building houses the check-in office and on-site manager’s residence. The resort is complete with a luxury pool area, barbecue amenities, green space, and a terrace on top of the hotel building.

Longevity and resilience were the primary concern in re-developing Shalimar. The new resort should not only survive inevitable future storms but thrive in their wake for decades to come. To that end, all buildings at the new Shalimar Beach Resort are built on concrete pile foundations. Piles are driven dozens of feet into the ground, and vertical CMU shear walls, perpendicular to the Gulf ensure habitable space is raised eleven feet above the ground, abiding by the Florida requirements for 100-year storm elevation. 

Exterior walls and floor systems are concrete and masonry, which give each building a monolithic strength and resistance to surging tidal waves and wind speeds up to 170 miles per hour. Because of the site’s location along the Gulf of Mexico’s coast, which is also a protected marine turtle nesting location, the structure, landscaping, and lighting were designed to meet the strict requirements set forth by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FLDEP) and Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC).

Of course, resiliency wasn’t the only factor that shaped Shalimar’s re-design. The City of Sanibel, as an island sanctuary, has a long history dedicated to small-scale development. Breezy island buildings, which nestle themselves within the dense native vegetation, give the barrier island its character. 

Shalimar Beach Resort embodies Tropical Modernism. The hotel building was designed to imitate the roadside motels which are typical of Old Florida; the duplexes and fourplexes were realized as stylized tropical cottages; and the resort as a whole is sensitive to the height, scale, and mass of surrounding buildings. Shade and ventilation is critical to the design of the roofs and window placements. Each building maximizes daylight, ensuring that every guest unit is naturally lit and has access to views of the beach.

It is not an idealized version of the past but is situated in its context as a modern destination which respects the history and environment of South Florida.