Copter Hangar

Location

Hobe Sound, FL

Year

2013

Size

5,800 sf

Type

Commercial

The Copter Hangar is located on 200 acres of grass savannah/pasture land. The building is a grown man’s toy box to hold his helicopter, horse trailer, horse buggies, and semi-truck to protect them from the Florida climate. The owner uses the helicopter on a weekly basis.

In this vein of toys and play, the form was initially conceived of as a standard butler building that itself becomes an object of play. The simple floor plan remains, two angled volumes however have been created that slope away from each other. At this slipping point translucent panels are clad onto the framing that capture natural light and bring it down into the work spaces—play becomes practical. The building otherwise is heavily insulated and almost windowless to reduce exterior heat gain and minimize cooling needs.

When opened, a hydraulic hinged door for the helicopter projects from the wall onto an otherwise overhang free building. It provides shade and rain protection on days when it is desirable to work partially outside the hangar. An object in the landscape, the building’s dynamic geometry intentionally contrasts the predominantly planted site. 4 shades of green and 4 shades of blue that clad the exterior of the hangar mimic the variation of vegetation and sky colors under sunlight through the day.