The client has two grown children, is a collector of Venetian glass, and has an appreciation of Art Deco and Art Nouveau. McKinney and Wood began their design with these interests in mind—then brought an updated sensibility to them. Clean lines, defined geometries, and dramatic moments define the house—such as a dropped, ipe-wood ceiling in the dining room and a fireplace that appears to float in an unexpected corner of the living space. “The house is very disciplined,” says McKinney, citing the v-shaped gutters along the standing seam roof as an example. “We didn’t stray far from the set of rules we created for it. Precision and detailing were crucial.” McKinney says they could set firm rules for the design because this was a house that didn’t need flexibility. The client agrees, and says she had waited a long time to have a house created specifically for her needs, which included entertaining and places for her mother, her kids, and guests to stay when they could. “I wanted a Modern house on one floor with no moldings or arches,” she says. “I wanted views, openness, sun, something original and minimal, and low maintenance.”

The house is mostly low-maintenance, but because the program called for space to display the vast collection of blown glass, there has to be a few bottles of glass cleaner around. The client’s love of glass was paramount to the house’s design, so the house was created to achieve a connection between her collection, lighting, and the changing patterns of incoming sunlight. Display cases with reconstituted wenge wood cabinets beneath add to the geometry rather than detract or clutter it and bring warmth and contrast to the polished, concrete floors.

“It’s the house I wanted,” says McKinney’s client, “and the house I asked for.” Furthermore, it is designed to be retrofitted for a few more things she wants, like solar panels, when the development realizes how beautiful they really are.