The Milam Residence, located in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, was designed by Paul Rudolph in
1962. The last of a series of Florida residences built by Rudolph, the modernist structure contains
stylistic elements of the Sarasota School while also hinting at the more monolithic, monumentalist or
brutalist style later developed by Rudolph [1]. Built primarily of concrete and glass and located in a
subtropical climate, at first glance the building might not appear to be designed with attention to
energy conservation. The residence is oriented to the east rather than the south, the residence is
air-conditioned, and windows are inoperable.
The building is primarily constructed of poured concrete and concrete blocks and has extensive
window glazing, especially on the east façade. While this glazing makes up a majority of the
easternmost façade, all other sides of the building contain minimal transparent surfaces. For the
exterior envelope, Rudolph’s use of concrete blocks appears to allow for structural freedom while also
responding to the local climate.
This paper provides an analysis of the house with regard to its climate responsiveness, focusing
specifically on daylighting, shading, heat gain, and cooling loads. The objective is to assess the Milam
Residence’s design to quantify how it is impacted by solar insolation and to provide insights about
design characteristics that influence efficiency and conservation.
The Milam Residence (Figure 1, [2]) is located off the northeast shore of Florida in the midst of
suburban residences outside of Jacksonville. Rudolph’s early work, much of which was completed
with partner and mentor Ralph Twitchell, falls within the Sarasota School of Modern Architecture,
which took into account regional climate and cultural influences in residential construction styles and
techniques